A catastrophic dam collapse in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley has resulted in the deaths of at least 71 people, with the toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
The incident occurred early Monday morning, April 29, when the Old Kijabe Dam located in the Mai Mahiu area broke its banks following weeks of heavy rain and flooding.
Susan Kihika, the governor of Nakuru, verified to CNN on Monday that the area’s flooding situation worsened due to a dam rupture. However, local residents and emergency personnel have reported to CNN that the calamity resulted from water rushing through a tunnel beneath a railway bridge, where a culvert was obstructed.
The dam burst sent a deluge of water, mud, and debris downstream sweeping away houses, vehicles, and people in its path. Villagers in the area described the horror of being awakened by a loud bang and screams as the floodwaters engulfed their homes. “I was asleep when I heard a loud bang and screams. Water had flooded the area,” said Peter Muhoho, a resident of the nearby village of Kianugu.
The floodwaters also submerged a highway, cutting off transportation in one of Kenya’s busiest regions and leaving vehicles entangled in debris. Paramedics treated the injured as search and rescue teams scoured the wreckage for survivors.
“This is the worst I’ve ever come across in my career,” said Anthony Muchiri, an emergency response manager with the Kenya Red Cross, as rescue efforts continued in the aftermath.
Kithure Kindiki, Kenya’s Interior Minister, has ordered an urgent inspection of all public and private dams and water reservoirs across the country, emphasizing the urgency with which officials must assess the safety of these structures to prevent further tragedies. He added that security and intelligence officials should issue evacuation orders for high-risk areas if necessary. “The Government is deeply concerned by the loss of life and destruction of public and private property resulting from the ongoing floods,” Kindiki wrote in a post on X.
Kenya has been grappling with torrential rains and flooding since March, which has already claimed nearly 100 lives across the country. The devastating weather patterns have also affected neighboring East African countries, such as Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda, where hundreds have been killed, and thousands displaced.
Heavy rains have been attributed to the combined effects of El Niño and an Indian Ocean Dipole, weather phenomena that have caused unprecedented rainfall across the region. This flooding comes just months after the region began recovering from the worst drought in 40 years, which had left millions of people in need of food and water.
The death toll in Kenya’s March-May wet season has surpassed 210, with over 165,000 people displaced across the country. In Tana River County, a boat capsized in the swollen river, leading to the deaths of at least two people, while 23 others were rescued. Governor Kihika has been visiting affected areas, emphasizing the need to drain the water in dams to prevent future calamities.
The flood crisis is expected to worsen in the coming weeks, with weather experts predicting more rainfall owing to the ongoing El Nino weather pattern. Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General and CEO of the International Federation of Red Cross, said that the immense amount of rain since March has triggered devastating floods, river overflows, and mudslides, which have caused more than 200 deaths in Kenya alone.
The Kenyan government is mobilizing resources to aid those affected by the floods, while rescue teams continue to search for survivors in the wake of this devastating disaster.
The Horn of Africa, situated in the eastern part of Africa and encompassing countries like Kenya, stands as one of the areas most susceptible to climate-related challenges globally. Nations such as Tanzania and Burundi have also experienced significant impacts due to intense rainfall.