A river broke in Kenya’s Maasai Mara game reserve on Wednesday morning. The water subsequently flooded more than ten tourist accommodation facilities, such as hotels, cottages and campsites, which also led to the evacuation of tourists, the AP News server describes.
The Kenya Red Cross said it had rescued more than 90 people. The Narok County Government said it had deployed two helicopters to carry out the evacuation in the vast protected area. More than 181 people have died across Kenya since the rainy season began in mid-March, causing floods, landslides and destroying infrastructure, Reuters writes. Forecasters warn that more rain is expected this week.
At the same time, the water in the two dams rose to a “historical maximum”, the local government said. She subsequently called on citizens in threatened areas to evacuate. Three main roads in the capital Nairobi were also temporarily closed on Wednesday due to flooding. The Red Cross there rescued 11 people from the Kitengela residential area on the outskirts of Nairobi after their homes were flooded overnight.
The situation is also critical in the Mai Mahiu area in western Kenya, where water swept away houses and damaged roads. Because of this, 48 people died there and more than 80 are missing. Search and rescue operations are therefore underway at the site.
President William Ruto on Tuesday ordered the military to join the search. Local residents say rescue efforts are slow due to a lack of equipment to dig through the debris.
