(CNN) — At least 35 people have died and dozens more are missing after a dam burst in southern Kenya, sweeping away homes and vehicles as the country faces weeks of torrential rains and devastating flash floods.
Rescuers are digging through mud and rubble to find survivors near Mai Mahiu in Kenya’s Nakuru county, Governor Susan Kihika told CNN, warning that the death toll could rise sharply.
The incident comes as floods have inundated large areas of Kenya, killing at least 103 people and forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes since March, government spokesman Isaac Maigua said on Monday. Mwaura.
In Mai Mahiu, Kihika said a serious situation was unfolding as floodwaters were sweeping away people and homes.
“We are trying to control the situation, but it is a little overwhelming, but we are doing everything we can, especially to reach those who have been swept away, because we hope that some are still alive,” Kihika said.
A man swims from a submerged church compound after the Tana River burst its banks following heavy rains in Mororo, border of Tana and Garissa counties, northeastern Kenya, on April 28. 28, 2024. (Credit: Andre Kasuku/AP)
Access to Mai Mahiu, 32 kilometers north of the capital Nairobi, had been difficult because part of the road had been cut by recent heavy rain, Kihika said. Crews are clearing debris as they try to reach survivors and remove bodies, he added.
On Monday, the Kenya Red Cross reported that several people had been transferred to a health center in Mai Mahiu due to flash floods that affected the village of Kamuchiri.
“The waters would have originated from a nearby river that overflowed,” the group said.
Kenya has recorded heavy rains since mid-March, but the downpours have intensified in the last week, leading to massive flooding.
“Kenya is facing a worsening flood crisis due to the combined effects of El Niño and prolonged rains from March to May 2024,” IFRC Secretary General and Executive Director Jagan Chapagain said in a post on X, referring to the weather pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean along the equator and impacts climate around the world. “Since November 2023, El Niño triggered devastating floods and river overflows, causing more than a hundred deaths and widespread damage.”
Some 131,450 people have been affected by the floods that have devastated almost half of Kenya.
Images and videos from hard-hit Nairobi show people stranded on rooftops or salvaging what they can from houses destroyed by flash floods.
Other videos show extensive flooding around the Tana River, with large areas of the surrounding area underwater. Roads, buildings and vehicles are submerged.
The Ministry of Education announced this Monday that all primary and secondary schools would postpone the start of the new school year by one week, until May 6.
This Sunday, the Kenya Red Cross declared that 23 people had been rescued and others were missing after a boat capsized in Kona Punda while en route to Mororo, Tana River County.
As of Friday, the group had rescued more than 300 people since the start of the rains in March.
Heavy rains in East Africa have also affected Tanzania and Burundi. Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa declared this Thursday that at least 155 people had died from floods in the country.
