Scores die in Kenyan ‘hell on earth’
Large parts of East Africa flooded after weeks of rain affect millions, triggering relief efforts to stave off hunger and prevent disease
Nairobi — At least 41 people died after a dam burst in central Kenya, police said on Thursday, as residents described muddy waters ripping through their homes in what one survivor called “hell on earth”. After a severe drought, weeks of torrential rains in Kenya have led to flooding and mudslides that left 172 dead. The private Patel dam, used for irrigation and fish farming, burst its earthen banks on Wednesday night in Solai, near the Rift Valley city of Nakuru, regional police chief Gideon Kibunjah told AFP. The raging waters wiped out two villages, a resident said, while power lines were swept away, leaving many without electricity. The search for victims was interrupted on Thursday afternoon by heavy rains. “We have 41 people dead from this tragedy,” Kibunjah said, adding that 20 of them were children. He said the search for victims was continuing. “It is a disaster because most people were asleep when the tragedy occurred and their houses were swept away.” He said that 36 peop...
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