A dam collapsed in western Kenya early Monday morning, killing at least 42 people after a wall of water swept away homes and cut off a main road, police said.
the Old Kijabe DamIt is located in the Mai Mahiu region of the Great Rift Valley region. Prone to flash floods, it collapsed and water seeped downstreamHe carried mud, rocks and uprooted trees with him, police officer Stephen Kirui told The Associated Press.
The disaster occurred in Nakuru County, north of the capital, Nairobi, where the walls of the Dark Tunnel Valley Dam, located in the Kijabe Hills, collapsed early in the morning.
“We have recovered 42 bodies and many people are missing. It is a disaster.”The police chief of the nearby city of Naivasha, Stephen Kirui, said in statements reported by local media, specifying that Among the dead were 17 children.
The tragedy particularly struck the town of Kamuchiri, near Mai Mahiu.
Vehicles were trapped under road debris, and paramedics treated the wounded, as large areas were flooded with water.
the Incessant rains in Kenya have caused floods that have killed nearly 100 people It postponed the opening of schools. Heavy rains have fallen on the country since mid-March, and the Meteorological Department has warned of more rain.
“I woke up submerged in water around 3am (00:00 GMT). The walls of the house had collapsed. My family and I were floating in the water,” one of those affected, William Lukai, 43, told local newspaper The Standard.
“I opened the roof of the house to rescue my seven-month-old son and another three-year-old son. We escape through the roof. Two of my neighbors' homes have been destroyed. About a dozen residents were swept away. Lucai added: They are dead.
Kenyan Home Affairs Minister Kithor Kindiki ordered the inspection of all public and private dams and water tanks within 24 hours from Monday afternoon to… Avoid future accidents. The ministry said recommendations on evacuations and resettlement would be made after the inspection.
The Kenya National Highways Authority has issued an alert to motorists to be prepared for heavy traffic and debris blocking roads.
The vast region of East Africa is witnessing floods due to heavy rains, which are said to be… 155 people died in Tanzania, while more than 200,000 people were affected in neighboring Burundi.
A boat capsized in Garissa County, northern Kenya, on Sunday evening, and the Kenya Red Cross said it had rescued 23 people, but more than a dozen were still missing.
Kenya's main airport was flooded on Saturday, diverting some flights, as videos of a flooded runway, terminals and cargo section circulated online.
More than 200,000 people across Kenya were affected by the floods, with homes in flood-prone areas submerged and people seeking shelter in schools.
President William Ruto has ordered the National Youth Service to provide land to be used as a temporary camp for those affected.
(With information from AP and EFE)
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