- At least 45 people have been killed in flash floods and landslides in Kenya.
- The disaster was initially blamed on a dam burst, but authorities now blame a clogged railway tunnel for the flooding.
- Interior Minister Kisre Kindiki has ordered the inspection of all public and private dams and reservoirs to avoid possible accidents in the future.
Flash floods and landslides have swept away homes and cut off major roads in Kenya, leaving at least 45 people dead and dozens missing, the interior ministry said on Monday.
Police official Stephen Kirui initially told The Associated Press that the former Kijabe Dam in the Mai Mahiu area of the flash flood-prone Great Rift Valley region had collapsed, washing away mud, rocks and uprooted trees. Told.
However, Nakuru County said in a statement late on Monday that the body of water that caused the flash flood was a clogged railway tunnel.
Kenya postpones school reopening as death toll approaches 100 and flooding continues
Emergency workers were treating injured people on one of Kenya’s busiest highways as a vehicle became entangled in debris and large areas were submerged in water.
The Kenya Red Cross said 109 people were hospitalized and 49 others were missing.
William Lokai told Citizen TV that he was woken up by a loud bang and his house immediately filled with water. He fled through the roof with his brother and children.
Incessant rain has caused flooding in Kenya since mid-March, killing at least 169 people, and the country’s weather bureau is warning of more rain.
A man swims from a submerged church site after heavy rains caused the Tana River to burst its banks in Mororo, on the border of Tana River and Garissa counties in northeastern Kenya, on Sunday, April. 28th, 2024.Heavy rains across Kenya have killed dozens and forced tens of thousands to flee, according to the United Nations. (AP Photo/Andrew Cusk)
Kenya’s Interior Minister Kisre Kindiki has ordered all public and private dams and reservoirs to be inspected within 24 hours from Monday afternoon to avoid future incidents. The ministry said recommendations for evacuation and resettlement will be made following the inspection.
The Kenya National Highways Authority has warned motorists to prepare for traffic jams and debris blocking roads around Naivasha and Narok, west of the capital Nairobi.
Heavy rains have caused flooding in East Africa, with 155 people killed in Tanzania and more than 200,000 people affected in neighboring Burundi.
The Kenya Red Cross said it had rescued 23 people after a boat capsized in northern Kenya’s Garissa county on Sunday night, but more than a dozen were still missing.
Kenya’s main airport was flooded on Saturday, with videos of flooded runways, terminals and cargo sections being shared online, forcing some flights to be diverted.
More than 200,000 people have been affected by flooding across Kenya, with homes submerged and people taking shelter in schools in flood-prone areas.
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President William Ruto had directed the National Youth Authority to provide land to be used as a temporary camp for the affected people.
