Dozens killed after dam burst in Kenya's Nakuru County: Rescue service

By Euronews

last updated: 10/05/2018

A dam burst late on Wednesday in a Kenyan town after heavy rain, leaving dozens dead.

The incident happened following heavy rains near the town of Nakuru, around 180km north of Nairobi.

At least 47 bodies have so far been pulled from the mud, regional police chief Japheth Kioko told Reuters.

"The water has caused huge destruction of both life and property. The extent of the damage has yet to be ascertained," Lee Kinyajui, governor of Nakuru, said in a statement.

Floodwaters swept away powerlines, homes, and buildings, including a primary school, according to a Reuters photographer on the scene.

The Kenyan Red Cross tweeted that it had rescued 39 people.

Kenya Red Cross

✔@KenyaRedCross

39 people taken to hospital last night after Patel Dam in Subukia, Nakuru County, broke its banks affecting nearby villages. Search and rescue efforts by County Government, Kenya #RedCross Society and @Ems_Kenya ongoing.

12:48 AM - May 10, 2018 · Nairobi, Kenya

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Yesterday the government announced that 132 people had died as a result of flooding since the rainy season began in March.

Hundreds of thousands of people across Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Uganda have been displaced by the torrential rain in the last two months.