At least 65 people were killed and nearly hundreds homes were washed away after flooding and landslides hit Rwanda, according to an officials on Thursday.
One of the residents Gilbert Mugabo told media that the landslides were still occurring in the morning in Gakenke district in the mountainous northwest.
The floods have killed 16 in Somalia. In Uganda high water levels have trapped an estimated 200 patients inside a hospital, the BBC reported.
According to the ministry of emergency management, the East African nation has seen dozens of deaths caused by torrential rains in recent weeks but Wednesday night’s downpour was the worst in months.
East African countries have also been hit by a locust invasion and Covid-19.
Taking to Twitter, the ministry said, “We have so far counted 65 people dead from last night”s heavy rains. We urge people to leave risk areas”.
Meteorologists predict that the heavier than usual rains will continue throughout May, the rainy season normally lasts until June, BBC said in a report.
In Rwanda, people died as a result of landslides in the mountainous north-west of the country.
Last month, a huge floating island of loose vegetation led to a nationwide blackout in Uganda after clogging a turbine in a hydroelectric power station.
At the end of last year, rain-triggered disasters, including flash floods and landslides, killed at least 250 people and affected some three million people across East Africa.
(With inputs from agency)