Muyinga: significant material damage following torrential rains

Houses and crop fields were damaged by torrential rains mixed with hail on Tuesday afternoon in Butihinda commune, Muyinga province in northeastern Burundi. The population is asking for emergency aid. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The rain that fell this Tuesday around 2 p.m. caused a lot of damage on the hills of Butihinda commune.

The violent rain lasted almost an hour.

The most affected hill according to the communal administration is Munyinya where it is reported 45 damaged houses including 15 destroyed completely and 30 whose sheets were either blown away by the wind or perforated by the hail.

Crop fields were also destroyed. The administration estimates that 14 hectares of banana trees, 5 of corn, 3 of coffee trees and 2.5 of tomatoes have been devastated.

The population is asking for emergency aid.

“My family has been completely affected. Four houses including mine and three of my married sons are completely destroyed. We are asking for emergency help to have shelter, otherwise we will spend the night under the stars,” confided a resident of Munyinya hill.

The administrator of this commune asks the Ministry for Solidarity and other benefactors to come to the aid of the affected population.