Permanent Secretary Ngoga Aristarque told journalists on Monday that the unusual August rainfall brought deadly lightning strikes and property damage.

 “Recently, we have experienced rainfall in this month of August, which is usually not characterized by heavy rains. On the 16th, it rained, and again last night [August 18, 2025] until this morning. We recorded five fatalities four of them struck by lightning and one who died after a house collapsed on him,” he said.

According to MINEMA, the victims include two people in Burera District, and one each in Gicumbi, Rusizi, and Ngororero Districts. Among the 15 injured, there is one person each in Gicumbi and Gisagara, three in Kamonyi, two in Musanze, and eight in Nyamasheke all injured by lightning.

Authorities reported damage to 11 houses, as well as flooding that temporarily closed sections of various roads. Some wetlands and rivers overflowed, though not severely, officials said.

The Permanent Secretary noted that assessments are ongoing to determine the full extent of the damage and to coordinate assistance where needed. He highlighted the atypical timing of the storms, coming in a month that is generally drier, and underscored the lethal role of lightning in the latest incidents.

By the numbers

• Fatalities: 5 (4 lightning; 1 house collapse)
• Injured: 15 (all lightning-related)
• Districts with deaths: Burera (2), Gicumbi (1), Rusizi (1), Ngororero (1)
• Districts with injuries: Gicumbi (1), Gisagara (1), Kamonyi (3), Musanze (2), Nyamasheke (8)
• Houses damaged: 11