NAIROBI: Torrential storms which have triggered flash floods in Kenya have killed no less than 81 folks this month, authorities mentioned Sunday (Mar 22), as rain continued to pound a lot of the nation.
Within the nation’s hard-hit west, residents waded by means of flood waters with their belongings on their heads and evacuated in crowded boats, AFP reporters noticed.
Flash floods submerged whole villages in Kisumu county, destroying round 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of farmland and sweeping away crops.
Greater than 3,000 households have been compelled from their properties locally of Nyakach, with some sheltering in eight evacuation centres, locals mentioned, as rising waters from the overflowing River Mirui proceed to threaten the group.
“We now have misplaced fairly quite a few farmlands with huge erosion, and the farm vegetation that we had planted ,” mentioned the chief of Nyakach, Seth Oluoch Agwanda, 57.
The capital Nairobi has the very best demise toll within the floods, with 37 folks killed, authorities mentioned.
“The cumulative variety of fatalities has sadly risen to 81,” nationwide police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga mentioned in an announcement.
“Moreover, flash floods have swept by means of a number of areas, displacing roughly 2,690 households and inflicting widespread destruction of infrastructure and property.”
On Friday night time, authorities known as on residents to evacuate a number of slum neighbourhoods downstream from the Nairobi dam, warning of an imminent threat of flooding as rising water ranges threatened to breach the dam embankment, in response to native media.
The dam has held to date.
