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By Annonciata Byukusenge
As thousands of people gathered for a dignified burial of those killed by the floods on May 2 and 3, one of them was a woman who had lost her three children and husband.
Lucia Ingabire, a resident of the Rugerero Sector in Rubavu District, could barely hold back her tears as she shared her testimony. She was firmly holding a portrait of her husband, Emmanuel Maniriho, who was only 43 years old.
When it rained at around 9:00 PM on May 2, Ingabire and her family went to bed, like many Rwandan families would. However, at around 2:30 AM, their house was suddenly engulfed by a landslide.
They tried calling for help, but Ingabire believed no one could hear them from where they were buried under the rubble. Her 15-year-old child, however, managed to climb through and immediately went to alert their neighbours to come to their rescue.
“They arrived when my three children and husband had died already. I tried to keep calling for help but I almost fainted. I was trying to tell them to dig more gently so they don’t hurt our heads,” Ingabire narrated.
She managed to raise her hands through the soil as the rubble was being removed, and the rescuers saw her. She and her husband, along with their youngest child, were then extracted.
Two of her children were so far under the debris that it took almost two hours to get them out. Another one died from their injuries in the hospital.
At the burial, Ingabire was with her two children, while the other, who was badly injured, was still hospitalised.
The day before, her late family members were apparently buried by people she did not know, but she hoped they too could get a decent burial. She was still hospitalised and was unable to attend herself.
Heavy rains in the northern, western, and southern provinces of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday claimed at least 130 lives as of Thursday morning, May 4, while 77 people were injured and 36 hospitalised. Five people were still missing.
The most affected districts include Rubavu, Ngororero, Nyabihu, Rutsiro, Karongi, Gakenke, Burera, Musanze, and Nyamagabe.
Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente attended the burial ceremony for 13 victims killed by landslides and floods of the Sebeya River in Rubavu District. The event took place at Rugerero Cemetery.
