Larry Madowo/CNN
At the site of Mai Mahiu, a town in Kenya's Rift Valley, a CNN team witnessed overturned vehicles, uprooted trees and washed away homes due to massive flooding.
Nairobi, Kenya
CNN
—
At least 35 people have been killed and dozens missing after a dam burst in southern Kenya, washing away homes and vehicles as the country grapples with weeks of heavy rains and devastating flash floods.
At the site of Mai Mahiu, a town in Kenya's Rift Valley, a CNN team witnessed overturned vehicles, uprooted trees and washed away homes due to massive flooding.
CNN witnessed flood damage extending several kilometers in all directions, with one of the worst-hit areas in Kenya's northwestern Nakuru county. A distraught man told CNN he feared some of his family members were still buried under the mud and debris.
Gov. Susan Kihika told CNN that rescue teams were digging through mud and rubble to search for survivors near Mai Mahiu, warning that the death toll could rise significantly.
The incident comes as floods have inundated large areas of Kenya since March, killing at least 103 people and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes, government spokesman Isaac Maigua said. Mr Mwaura said on Monday.
Thomas Mukaiya/Reuters
A man uses a stick to cross a river after a dam burst and severe flash floods washed away several houses following heavy rains in Kamuchiri village, Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, Kenya, April 29, 2024.
Kihika said in Mai Mahiu that a serious situation was unfolding with floods washing away people and homes.
“We are trying to get a handle on the situation, we are a bit overwhelmed, but we are doing our best to contact people, especially those who were taken away, because we hope some of them are still alive. Because we have a lot of people,” Kihika said.
View this interactive content on CNN.com
Kihika said recent heavy rains had made access to Mai Mahiu, 32 miles north of the capital Nairobi, difficult after some roads had been cut off. Teams are trying to contact survivors and pull out bodies while clearing debris, she added.
The Kenya Red Cross Society said on Monday that several people were taken to a medical facility in Mai Mahiu after flash floods hit the village of Kamchiri.
“The flooding was reportedly caused by a nearby river bursting its banks,” the group said.
Heavy rains have been recorded in Kenya since mid-March, but heavy rains have intensified over the past week, causing massive flooding.
“Kenya faces a worsening flood crisis due to the combined effects of El Niño and prolonged rains from March to May 2024,” said Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary-General and CEO. Stated. Said in X's post, refers to a climate pattern that originates in the Pacific Ocean along the equator and influences weather around the world. “Since November 2023, El Niño has caused devastating floods and river flooding, killing more than 100 people and causing widespread damage.”
Andre Cusque/AP
On Sunday, April 28, heavy rains caused the Tana River to burst its banks in Mororo, Kenya, and a man was seen submerging in flood waters near a submerged church site.
The Horn of Africa, the region of East Africa that includes Kenya, is one of the world's most vulnerable regions to climate change and is exposed to increasingly frequent and severe extreme weather events.
Rainfall is expected across the region, but as the world warms, the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events will increase as the atmosphere warms and can hold more moisture. It is expected.
Edwin Waita/Reuters
Drone footage of damaged homes after a dam burst and severe flash floods washed away several homes following heavy rains in Kamchili village, Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, Kenya on April 29, 2024. .
Heavy rains in the Horn of Africa late last year killed at least 300 people and killed about twice as many people as they would have without climate change, according to a December analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA) scientists. It is said that it was intense. ) Initiative.
These rains follow years of devastating drought, the worst in at least 40 years, which has affected many parts of Kenya, killing livestock and crops and causing widespread hunger and water shortages. A WWA analysis in April found that global warming pollution from fossil fuels made this drought 100 times more likely.
Thomas Mukaiya/Reuters
On April 29, 2024, a damaged passenger bus gets stuck in a fallen tree after a dam bursts and severe flash floods wash away several houses after heavy rains in Kamuchiri village, Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, Kenya. It's reflected.Reuters/Thomas Mukoya
Floods have affected almost half of Kenya, affecting approximately 131,450 people.
Images and videos of badly damaged Nairobi show people stranded on rooftops or salvaging what they can from homes destroyed by flash floods.
Other videos show massive flooding around the Tana River, with much of the surrounding area submerged. Roads, buildings, and vehicles are submerged.
The Ministry of Education announced on Monday that all elementary and junior high schools will postpone the start of the new school year by one week until May 6.
The Kenya Red Cross Society said on Sunday that 23 people were rescued and the rest were missing after a boat capsized in Kona Punda on its way to Mororo in Tana River County.
As of Friday, the group said it had rescued more than 300 people since the rains began in March.
Heavy rains in East Africa also affected Tanzania and Burundi. Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said on Thursday that at least 155 people had died from flooding in the country.
CNN's Laura Paddison contributed to this report.