The state and the Red Cross announced on Wednesday that 181 people had been killed in Kenya as a result of floods and landslides in the country since March, with hundreds of thousands of people being forced to leave their homes, as well as lots more in neighboring Tanzania and Burundi.
Heavy rains and storms have destroyed homes, roads, bridges and other facilities across the area. The El Nino wind phenomenon, which started late last year, caused more deaths in Kenya than there did storms.
Two bodies were found in the dust on Wednesday in Mai Mahiu, where at least 48 people died in Monday’s flash floods, according to Felix Maiyo, the Kenya Red Cross South Rift Regional Manager.
According to Maiyo, military officers with sniffing dogs had joined the hunt. The death toll overall has increased by 10 to 179, according to government spokesman Isaac Mwaura before on Wednesday.
The floods of last year came after the worst drought in a large portion of East Africa in a long time.
In Kitengela, 33 miles ( 20 kilometers ) from Nairobi, Kenya Red Cross workers were helping to save people whose properties were marooned by flood waters.
The Kenya Red Cross posted a statement on social media platform X claiming that they were also attempting to rescue travellers who were staying at tents in Narok, which is 215 kilometers from Nairobi.
The federal highways power of Kenya announced that it had closed a portion of a bridge leading to the city and at least three different streets across the nation due to flooding and particles.
Pope Francis was speaking out in solidarity with Kenyans during a public audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.
” I… wish to express to the people of Kenya my spiritual relationship at this time, as extreme flooding has cruelly caused many of our brothers and sisters to die, inflict harm on some, and have caused widespread destruction,” he said.
On Wednesday, the White House expressed condolences to the families of the victims and stated that the United States was supporting response efforts through the US company for global development.
White House spokesman Karine Jean- Pierre stated to reporters at a lecture that” we continue to offer our extended and steadfast support to all who have been impacted and are carefully monitoring the situation.
