21 people have died and more than 30 are missing after landslides following heavy rains in Marakwet East, Kenya. The Kenya Red Cross and the government are engaged in relief efforts, but many areas are still inaccessible due to floods and closed roads.
Kenya Landslide: A terrible landslide (Landslide in Kenya) occurred in Maraquet East, western part of Kenya, on Saturday night, which put the entire area in panic. The continuous heavy rains (Heavy Rain in Kenya) weakened the soil so much that at midnight the mountain slipped and washed away many houses with itself. Home Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said that so far 21 people have been confirmed dead, while more than 30 people are missing (Missing people in Kenya Landslide).
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How life changed overnight – what did people see?
According to local people, a loud thunder was heard around 2 am on Saturday night. Within a few moments, a flood of mud and water fell on their houses. Many families were buried under the debris while sleeping. Eyewitnesses say that in some areas houses were completely buried under mud, while fields and roads were washed away.
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How are the government and Red Cross teams carrying out rescue operations?
- Kenya Red Cross has shared aerial photographs on social media platform X (Twitter), in which the scale of the devastation is clearly visible.
- The Red Cross and the National Disaster Management Authority (Kenya Disaster Management) are continuously carrying out relief and rescue operations.
- But due to heavy rains and road closures, many affected areas are extremely difficult to reach.
- Officials said that currently the search operation has been stopped for the night, but will be resumed in the morning.
Is the rainy season always this dangerous in Kenya?
Rainy season is currently going on in Kenya, and incidents like landslides and flash floods are common during this time, but this time the situation is said to be more serious. According to local reports, there have been continuous torrential rains in Western Kenya for the past one week, due to which the land was completely drenched. This was the reason that soil slipped in the hilly area.
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What steps did the government take?
“We have confirmed the deaths of 21 people in this tragedy. More than 30 people are still missing. Rescue operations are ongoing and we are providing all possible assistance,” Interior Minister Murkomen tweeted. The government has ordered to send relief material to the affected areas, airlift the injured and rehabilitate homeless families.
What other danger is not over?
The Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rains may continue for the next two days, due to which the situation may worsen. The Red Cross has appealed to people to stay away from hilly and riverside areas.