At least 42 people have died in a dam collapse in a town north of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, according to the region’s governor, Susan Kihika, as reported by Agence France-Presse on Monday.
The country is experiencing heavy rains and flooding.
The governor indicated that “at least 42 people” have died, with many still missing, and efforts are underway to rescue them.
Earlier on Monday, Kenya’s Citizen TV station, citing the police, reported that at least 20 people had died in floods in the May Mahiu area in central Kenya.
The police informed the television channel that the death toll could rise due to the dam collapse. The Kenyan Red Cross stated that several people were transferred to a health facility in May Mahiu after sudden floods.
This increases the death toll from heavy rains and flooding in Kenya since last month to over a hundred people. Government data shows that 76 people have died, and more than 131,000 have been displaced as of Saturday.
Dozens more have been killed, and hundreds of thousands displaced after heavy rains hit other countries in the East African region, including Tanzania and Burundi.
East Africa experienced unprecedented floods during the last rainy season in late 2023. Experts attribute this to climate change, leading to more frequent and severe extreme weather events.
