According to Bahinyoza, Baritonda and her baby were rescued by residents alive and rushed to Nyabwishenya Health Centre III for treatment. He says their efforts to rescue Nyiramutuzo and Nyamishana didn’t yield results as they were swept to River Rwafi, which flows into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Landslides have swept away two people in Kisoro district. They
are Oliver Nyiramutuzo and Frola Nyamishana, both residents of Mugambira
village in Nteko parish in Nyabwishenya Sub County.
The two were swept
away around 2:00PM Wednesday. Paul Bahinyoza, a resident
of Mugambira
village, says the duo was weeding millet accompanied by Sylvia Baritonda and her
three months-old-daughter when the incident occurred following a heavy down
pour, which lasted for over three hours.
According
to Bahinyoza, Baritonda and her baby were rescued by residents alive and rushed
to Nyabwishenya Health Centre III for treatment. He says their efforts to rescue
Nyiramutuzo and Nyamishana didn’t yield results as they were swept to River
Rwafi, which flows into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He says
their hopes to recover the two alive are very minimal. Christopher Ruhunde, the
Kisoro District Police Commander, told URN that they had received a report
about the incident, adding that were preparing to join residents to search for the
missing victims.
The
matter is registered at Kisoro police station under file number SD
63/13/11/2019. Such incidents are common in Kisoro district. On September 26,
2019, six-year-old Praise Iradukunda, a Primary one pupil at Rubona Primary
school and daughter to Enos Nkurunziza, a resident of Rubona Village in Buhumbu
Parish, Busanza Sub county Kisoro district was washed away by running water
during a heavy downpour while returning home from school.
Early this month, a three-year-old boy from
Kashambya Sub County in Rukiga district was also swept away by running waters
during a heavy down pour. In
September this year, the Uganda National Meteorological Authority indicated
that most parts of the country would have above-normal rainfall, according to
the Uganda Outlook for Sept to Dec 2019 Rainfall Forecast Bulletin.
The Bulletin indicates that the South Western
districts of Kabale, Kisoro, Rukungiri, Kanungu, Ntungamo,
Mbarara, Kiruhura, Isingiro, Ibanda, Bushenyi, Buhweju, Mitooma, Sheema,
Rubirizi, Rukiga and Kasese will
have the peak of rains around October, with a
cessation of seasonal rains expected in December.
The authority advised communities to desilt and
open community drainage systems in order to ensure that their areas do not
flood during the downpour. In the case of flash floods, the authority said "do not
crossroads when the water levels have risen. Wait for the flood to subside.