At least 45 people have died as floodwaters swept away houses and cars in western Kenya

People try to clear the area after a dam burst in Kamuchiri Village Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April 29, 2024. Image Credit: AP

Flash floods and landslides swept through homes and cut off a major road in Kenya, killing at least 45 people and leaving dozens missing on April 29, the interior ministry said.

Police officer Stephen Kirui initially told The Associated Press that the old Kijabe Dam, located in the Mai Mahiu area of ​​the Great Rift Valley region, which is prone to flash flooding, collapsed, carrying with it mud, rocks and uprooted trees.

But in a statement late on April 29, Nakuru County said the water mass that caused the flash floods was a clogged railway tunnel.

Medics treated the injured as vehicles got stuck in debris on Kenya’s busiest highways and water inundated large areas.

People are trying to clear a bus that was washed away after the dam burst. | Image Credit: AP

Kenya Red Cross said 109 people were hospitalized and 49 were missing.

William Lokai told Citizen TV that he was woken by a loud noise and his house flooded shortly after. He escaped through the roof with his brother and children.

Ongoing rains in Kenya have caused floods that have killed at least 169 people since mid-March, and the country’s meteorological department has warned of more rain.

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Kenya’s Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki ordered an inspection of all public and private dams and water reservoirs within 24 hours starting April 29 afternoon to avoid future incidents. Recommendations for evacuation and rehabilitation will be made after the review, the ministry said.

The Kenya National Highways Authority issued a warning to motorists to brace for heavy traffic and debris blocking roads around Naivasha and Narok, west of the capital Nairobi.

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Heavy rains have left a large swath of East Africa flooded, with 155 people reported dead in Tanzania and more than 200,000 affected in neighboring Burundi.

23 people have been rescued after a boat capsized in Kenya’s northern Garissa county on Sunday night, the Kenya Red Cross said, but more than a dozen are still missing.

Kenya’s main airport was flooded on April 27, forcing some flights to be diverted as videos of the flooded runway, terminals and cargo section were shared online.

More than 200,000 people have been affected by floods across Kenya, with homes in flood-prone areas submerged and people taking shelter in schools.

President William Ruto had instructed the National Youth Service to provide land for the victims to use as a makeshift camp.