Flooding after a dam failure in Kenya has killed at least 32 people. Whole houses were washed away, according to the authorities. The disaster occurred 150 kilometers north of Nairobi.
According to the Interior Ministry, at least 32 people died in a dam break in Kenya.
The police chief of the affected Nakuru district, Gideon Kibunjah, said the accident occurred at Solai Dam near the city of Nakuru about 150 kilometers north of the capital, Nairobi. Due to the water masses whole houses were washed away. The dam ten kilometers north of Nakuru was broken last night after heavy rains. Water flows over the dam to lower-lying houses, said police spokesman Joseph Kioko from Rongai City. There are many missing persons. “It’s a disaster,” Kioko said.
The governor of Nakuru district, Lee Kinyanjui, initially spoke of eight dead. He assured residents in the area to bring affected families to safety and provide them with medical care.
Floods hit Kenya after the drought
Kenya’s Interior Minister Fred Matiangi announced that he wanted to get an idea of the situation on the ground. In Nakuru, a search and rescue mission of the Kenyan Red Cross and civil protection was underway. Up to 40 people have been saved so far. Hundreds of people had to leave their homes.
The severe floods hit Kenya at a time when the country is recovering from years of drought. Since March, more than 130 people have been killed by flooding during the rainy season, and there is a great risk of mudslides. More than 225,000 people were expelled from their homes. Soldiers with military helicopters have been searching for people trapped by the waters for days.