A dam broke in western Kenya on Monday, killing at least 45 people and leaving many others missing. The rushing water destroyed houses and blocked a main road. This information was shared by the Interior Ministry.
The Old Kijabe Dam in the Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley collapsed during a flash flood, causing water to overflow and carry mud, rocks, and trees downstream, according to police official Stephen Kirui.
Cars got stuck in the rubble on a very busy road in Kenya, and medical staff helped the hurt people while a lot of water covered a big space.
The Kenya Red Cross said that 109 people were taken to the hospital and 49 people are missing.
William Lokai said to Citizen TV that he heard a loud noise and then his house got flooded with water. He ran away through the roof with his brother and kids.
Continuous rain in Kenya has led to flooding, which has already resulted in the deaths of nearly 100 people and the delay of school openings. The country has been getting a lot of rain since mid-March, and the weather department says there will be even more.
Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kithure Kindiki, said that all public and private dams and water reservoirs must be checked within 24 hours starting on Monday afternoon to prevent future problems. The ministry will decide who needs to leave their homes and where they will go after checking everything.
The Kenya National Highways Authority said there will be a lot of traffic and debris on the roads near Naivasha and Narok, to the west of Nairobi.
Flooding is happening in East Africa because of a lot of rain. In Tanzania, 155 people have died and in Burundi, more than 200,000 people are affected.
A boat overturned in Kenya’s northern Garissa county on Sunday night. The Kenyan Red Cross saved 23 people, but many others are still missing.
Heavy rain caused Kenya’s biggest airport to flood on Saturday. Some flights had to go to a different airport because of this. Videos of the flooded runway, terminals, and cargo area were posted on the internet.
More than 200,000 people in Kenya have been affected by the floods. Houses in areas that often flood are underwater, and people are staying in schools for safety.
President William Ruto told the National Youth Service to give land for a temporary camp for people who are affected.