The Interior Ministry reported that a significant road in Kenya was severed and numerous houses were devastated by flash floods and a landslide, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 45 lives and leaving numerous individuals unaccounted for.
According to Stephen Kirui, a police official, the collapse of the Old Kijabe Dam in the flash flood-prone Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley region caused the calamity, as it unleashed a torrent of mud, rocks, and uprooted trees.
However, the Nakuru County announced in a press release on Monday evening that the flash floods were triggered by a blocked railway tunnel, not a natural water mass.
Numerous vehicles became trapped in the wreckage along one of Kenya’s most heavily trafficked highways, with emergency medical personnel providing aid to the wounded in areas inundated by water.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, a total of 109 individuals were admitted to hospitals, while 49 individuals were declared missing.
William Lokai, in an interview with Citizen TV, recounted being awakened by a loud explosion, followed by his house being flooded with water. He managed to escape along with his brother and children by climbing onto the roof.
Ongoing rains in Kenya have caused flooding that has killed at least 169 people since mid-March, and the country’s Meteorology Department has warned of more rainfall.
The wider East African region is currently facing severe flooding as a result of heavy rainfall. Tragically, Tanzania has reported a death toll of 155 individuals, while over 200,000 people in neighboring Burundi have been affected by this calamity.
