At least 130 people have died after floods and landslides hit Rwanda's northern and western provinces, authorities say.
The rains hit at night when many people were asleep - an official told the BBC this is one reason why so many died.The five-year-old daughter of Claudette Nyiraneza was among them.
"We could not save my daughter under the rubble until morning," she told the BBC, adding that neighbours eventually helped retrieve her body. 
Local governor François Habitegeko said many houses had collapsed on people.
He said that main roads in the area "are not usable because of landslides".
Rwanda's public broadcaster RBA reports that the casualty numbers are expected to increase as floodwaters continue to rise.
Rwanda's president offered his condolences to those who have been affected. His statement also added that residents were being evacuated from "affected and high-risk areas".
The government's main priority now is to "reach every house that has been damaged to ensure we can rescue any person who may be trapped", the Reuters news agency quotes Mr Habitegeko as saying.
Relief efforts have already started, "including helping to bury victims of the disaster and providing supplies to those whose homes were destroyed," a government minister for emergencies, Marie Solange Kayisire, told AFP
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