Dam bursts in Kenya, killing at least 41 people, following weeks of torrential rain
The Kenyan Red Cross estimates that up to 500 families were affected by the disaster, which took place some 150km northwest of Nairobi
At least 41 people died after a dam burst in southern Kenya, sweeping away their homes while many of them were asleep, police said on Thursday.
After a severe drought, weeks of torrential rains in Kenya have led to flooding and mudslides that have left almost 200 dead.
The private Patel dam, used for irrigation and fish farming, burst on Wednesday evening in Solai, near the Rift Valley city of Nakuru, regional police chief Gideon Kibunjah said.
“The search and rescue exercise is ongoing and more bodies have been retrieved,” Kibunjah said. “It is a disaster because most people were asleep when the tragedy occurred and their houses were swept away.”
The search and rescue exercise is ongoing and more bodies have been retrieved
A senior police officer at the scene, speaking on condition of anonymity, said emergency workers had spent the night combing through engulfed houses to retrieve the bodies of the victims and had only covered about half of the affected area.
