NAIROBI (Reuters) -Floods and landslides across Kenya have killed 181 people since March, with hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes, the government and Red Cross said on Wednesday, as dozens more were killed in neighbouring Tanzania and Burundi.
Torrential rain and floods have destroyed homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure across the region. The death toll in Kenya exceeds that from floods triggered by the El Nino weather phenomenon late last year.
On Wednesday, Kenya Red Cross South Rift Regional Manager Felix Maiyo reported that two bodies were found in Mai Mahiu. The town had experienced flash floods, resulting in at least 48 fatalities.
Military personnel accompanied by sniffer dogs had joined the search, Maiyo said. Earlier on Wednesday, government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the total death toll had risen by 10 to 179.
Last year’s rains followed the worst drought in large parts of East Africa in decades.
In Kitengela, 33 km (20 miles) from Nairobi, Kenya Red Cross workers were helping to rescue residents whose homes were marooned by flood waters.
They were also trying to rescue tourists trapped at camps in Narok, 215 km from Nairobi, the Kenya Red Cross said on X.
Due to flooding and debris, Kenya’s national highways authority closed a section of a highway leading to the city. Additionally, at least three other roads across the country were also closed.
The disaster prompted Pope Francis to speak out in sympathy with Kenyans during a general audience on Wednesday at the Vatican.
The devastating Kenya flood toll underscores the urgent need for disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience across the country.
After the floods, efforts now turn to recovery and rebuilding to address the extensive damage. The rising Kenya flood toll emphasizes the urgency of these efforts.
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