KIGALI, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The number of people died in landslides in western Rwanda has risen to 18 following heavy rains overnight, a local official said on Monday.
The downpour, which started from around 8 p.m. on Sunday and lasted until 2 a.m. on Monday local time, triggered landslides that killed the victims from Rwankuba sector, Karongi district.
Seven people are admitted at hospital, said executive secretary of Rwankuba sector Vedaste Kuzabaganwa.
The search for missing residents was completed Monday evening and there were no more residents unaccounted for, Kuzabaganwa told a media briefing.
Heavy rains have caused a large number of casualties in Rwanda since the beginning of this year.
In the first four months of the year, at least 183 people were killed and 215 others were injured in Rwanda by disasters triggered by heavy rains, according to the country's Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees.
