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| Dozens killed and many more feared trapped after Kenya's Patel dam bursts | Dozens killed and many more feared trapped after Kenya's Patel dam bursts |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A dam has burst its banks in Kenya’s Rift Valley, killing at least 38 people and forcing hundreds from their homes, officials have said. | A dam has burst its banks in Kenya’s Rift Valley, killing at least 38 people and forcing hundreds from their homes, officials have said. |
| Water burst through the banks of the Patel dam in Solai, 190km north-west of the capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday night, sweeping away hundreds of homes, including those on the expansive Nyakinyua farm, which borders the reservoir. | Water burst through the banks of the Patel dam in Solai, 190km north-west of the capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday night, sweeping away hundreds of homes, including those on the expansive Nyakinyua farm, which borders the reservoir. |
| “We have recovered 38 bodies and many people are missing. It is a disaster,” said Joseph Kioko, chief of police in the town of Rongai. | “We have recovered 38 bodies and many people are missing. It is a disaster,” said Joseph Kioko, chief of police in the town of Rongai. |
| Almost an entire village was swept by silt and water, said Gideon Kibunja, the Nakuru county police chief in charge of criminal investigations. | Almost an entire village was swept by silt and water, said Gideon Kibunja, the Nakuru county police chief in charge of criminal investigations. |
| Up to 40 people were rescued from the mud and taken to hospital in rescue operations conducted by the Kenya Red Cross and Nakuru County disaster management teams. Many more are feared to be trapped under debris and mud. Officials said the dam water and mud spewed out of the reservoir and submerged homes over a radius of nearly 2km (1.2 miles). | Up to 40 people were rescued from the mud and taken to hospital in rescue operations conducted by the Kenya Red Cross and Nakuru County disaster management teams. Many more are feared to be trapped under debris and mud. Officials said the dam water and mud spewed out of the reservoir and submerged homes over a radius of nearly 2km (1.2 miles). |
| Kenya’s interior cabinet secretary, Fred Matiangi, who arrived at the site to talk with those affected and assess the situation, told reporters the government had launched investigations to determine the stability of six other dams in the area. | |
| It has been suggested that the walls of the dam may have collapsed due to the huge volume of water accumulated following heavy rainfall since March. | It has been suggested that the walls of the dam may have collapsed due to the huge volume of water accumulated following heavy rainfall since March. |
| Veronica Wanjiku Ngigi, 67, told Reuters that said she was at home brewing tea yesterday evening when her son’s wife rushed in to say the dam had burst and they needed to get to higher ground immediately. | Veronica Wanjiku Ngigi, 67, told Reuters that said she was at home brewing tea yesterday evening when her son’s wife rushed in to say the dam had burst and they needed to get to higher ground immediately. |
| “It was a sea of water,” she said. “My neighbour was killed when the water smashed through the wall of his house. He was blind so he could not run. They found his body in the morning. My other neighbours also died. All our houses have been ruined.” | “It was a sea of water,” she said. “My neighbour was killed when the water smashed through the wall of his house. He was blind so he could not run. They found his body in the morning. My other neighbours also died. All our houses have been ruined.” |
| Christos Stylianides, the European commissioner for humanitarian aid, tweeted: “My thoughts are with the victims & their families in #Kenya’s #NakuruCounty, following the burst of the Patel Dam. EU stands ready to help.” | |
| According to BBC reports, local leaders want to know whether the farmer who owns the dam was licensed to erect it. There are concerns that two other dams he owns in the area, which are also said to be full, could also burst their banks. | |
| Amid mounting scrutiny of the local authorities, Lee Maiyani Kinyanjui, governor of Nakuru County, tweeted: “We assure residents that we are doing our best to evacuate affected families to safety and assist victims [to] get medical attention. We urge residents to be vigilant due to flooding caused by heavy rains experienced in the county and other parts of the country.” | Amid mounting scrutiny of the local authorities, Lee Maiyani Kinyanjui, governor of Nakuru County, tweeted: “We assure residents that we are doing our best to evacuate affected families to safety and assist victims [to] get medical attention. We urge residents to be vigilant due to flooding caused by heavy rains experienced in the county and other parts of the country.” |
| Kenya is already reeling from the effect of heavy rains and flash flooding that have hit east Africa. | Kenya is already reeling from the effect of heavy rains and flash flooding that have hit east Africa. |
| Before the dam burst, flooding had claimed the lives of at least 132 people since March, the Kenyan government said on Wednesday. | Before the dam burst, flooding had claimed the lives of at least 132 people since March, the Kenyan government said on Wednesday. |
| At least 225,436 people have been displaced from their homes, according to a government statement. Military helicopters and personnel have for the past week been deployed to rescue people marooned by the flooding. | At least 225,436 people have been displaced from their homes, according to a government statement. Military helicopters and personnel have for the past week been deployed to rescue people marooned by the flooding. |
| The floods hit as Kenya was recovering from a severe drought that had affected half of the country. | The floods hit as Kenya was recovering from a severe drought that had affected half of the country. |
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