Rising Toll: Kenya Battles Devastating Floods as 100 Remain Missing
Rescuers searching through the devastation caused by severe floods that have devastated Kenya are running out of time. In the center of the nation, at Mai Mahiu, a dam burst, prompting the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to launch a search and rescue effort. Devastating rains that have pummeled East Africa in recent weeks have set off the catastrophe, which has left hundreds missing and thought dead.
A situation report issued by the ministry states that the breaching dam engulfed Mai Mahiu on Monday morning, causing mudslides and flash floods that claimed the lives of at least 46 people. Survivors tell terrifying stories of houses, cars, and even train tracks being swept away by raging floods.
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One of the residents, Anne Gachie, related the horrifying moment her family had to run for safety as water flooded her house. “When I opened the door, the water gushed in and made its way through the kitchen,” she recalled. “My spouse was able to escape with great agility. My girls were swept from the house while they were in the adjacent room.”
The horrific toll keeps rising: the Interior Ministry has reported 53 persons missing in Mai Mahiu, and the Kenya Red Cross tracing desk has recorded an additional 76. 16 people are missing from the eastern section of the country’s Garissa county after a deadly boat capsizing tragedy that happened over the weekend cost four lives, with 23 more people lucky enough to be saved.
Over 185,000 people have been forced from their homes and at least 169 people have lost their lives as a result of Kenya’s devastating floods. Beyond Kenya’s borders, Burundi and Tanzania, two neighbors, are also dealing with significant displacement and fatalities as a result of the situation.
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Climate scientists link climate change to the escalation and heightened occurrence of these extreme weather occurrences. Due to the El Nino weather phenomena, Kenya saw another terrible flood event last year that resulted in the deaths of 120 people. These devastating rains, which came after an extended drought, served as a sobering reminder of East Africa’s climate-related problems.