
Forty-two lives have been lost in the devastating floods that struck central Kenya’s Mai Mahiu region following a dam breach early Monday morning, with authorities warning that the death toll could climb higher.
Images shared on various Kenyan media platforms, including those of the Kenya Red Cross and highway authorities, depict scenes of destruction wrought by the deluge, with uprooted trees and vehicles ensnared amidst debris and mud.
“We have so far recovered 42 bodies, which include 17 minors, following the early morning incident where a dam burst its banks in Kijabe area and rescue and search operations are going on,” Naivasha police commander Stephen Kirui told reporters from the rescue scene.
Prior to this incident, the Kenya Red Cross had already transported several individuals to medical facilities in Mai Mahiu due to sudden flash floods.
These recent fatalities add to a grim tally of over 140 lives claimed by heavy rains and flooding since the preceding month. Official statistics, excluding the Mai Mahiu disaster, cite 103 fatalities and over 185,000 individuals displaced as of Monday.
In a separate incident, the Kenya Red Cross reported the retrieval of two bodies after a boat capsized late Sunday in the Tana River, located in Garissa County, Eastern Kenya. Miraculously, twenty-three individuals were rescued from the same event.
Beyond Kenya’s borders, neighboring East African nations such as Tanzania and Burundi have also grappled with the wrath of torrential rains, resulting in numerous casualties and displacements.
The inundations have wreaked havoc on vital infrastructure, including roads and bridges. Notably, a roadway underpass at Nairobi’s international airport succumbed to flooding, though air traffic operations remained unaffected, reassured the Kenya Airports Authority.
Authorities voiced concerns over the swelling of hydroelectric dams to capacity, warning of potential catastrophic overflow downstream.
The calamity strikes amidst a backdrop of heightened climate concerns, with scientists attributing the escalating frequency and intensity of extreme weather events to climate change.
Responding to the crisis, Kenya’s Ministry of Education has postponed the commencement of the new school term by one week, citing the perilous conditions in many educational institutions.
“The devastating effects of the rains in some of the schools is so severe that it will be imprudent to risk the lives of learners and staff,” it said in a statement.