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{{Short description|Flash flood in Kenya on 29 April}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}} |
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{{Infobox event |
{{Infobox event |
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| title = 2024 |
| title = 2024 Mai Mahiu flash flood |
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| date = {{start date|2024|04|29}} |
| date = {{start date|2024|04|29|df=y}} |
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| Location = Near Nakuru County, Kenya |
| Location = Near Nakuru County, Kenya |
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| type = |
| type = Flash flood |
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| reported deaths = |
| reported deaths = 50 |
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| reported injuries = 109 hospitalized |
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}}On 29 April 2024, a dam failure occurred in [[Kenya]], killing at least 45 people.<ref name=Reuters>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-postpones-start-school-term-due-heavy-floods-2024-04-29/|title=Flash floods, landslide kill at least 45 in central Kenya | Reuters|access-date=2024-04-29|archive-date=2024-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429115822/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-postpones-start-school-term-due-heavy-floods-2024-04-29/|url-status=live}}</ref> The dam burst occurred following [[2024 Kenya floods|heavy rains]] in the previous month that killed over 110 people. Officials said the number of dead is a "conservative estimate" as more bodies were thought to be buried under mud. Rescue efforts began in [[Mai Mahiu]], the affected town.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-04-29 |title=Kenya dam burst: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68896456 |access-date=2024-04-29 |language=en-GB |archive-date=2024-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429100348/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68896456 |url-status=live }}</ref> Inhabitants of the town said the flood occurred at night, with water rushing down a hill. It uprooted trees, destroyed homes, swept away the railway line, and disrupted a road that caught vehicles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-29 |title=‘Don’t know how many under mud’: 45 killed as dam bursts in flood-hit Kenya |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3260796/kenya-dam-bursts-killing-least-42-death-toll-expected-rise |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en |archive-date=2024-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429093004/https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3260796/kenya-dam-bursts-killing-least-42-death-toll-expected-rise |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Reuters /> |
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| missing = 84 |
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}} |
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On 29 April 2024, a blockage in a culvert beneath a railway embankment led to a catastrophic failure and inundation in [[Kenya]], killing at least 50 people.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kenya flooding: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68896456 |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=www.bbc.com |date=29 April 2024 |archive-date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429100348/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68896456 |url-status=live }}</ref> The event was initially described as a 'dam failure'.<ref name=Reuters>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-postpones-start-school-term-due-heavy-floods-2024-04-29/|title=Flash floods, landslide kill at least 45 in central Kenya|website=[[Reuters]] |access-date=29 April 2024|archive-date=29 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429115822/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-postpones-start-school-term-due-heavy-floods-2024-04-29/|url-status=live}}</ref> The flood occurred following [[2024 Kenya floods|heavy rains]] in the previous month that killed over 110 people. Casualties came from the town of [[Mai Mahiu]], where another 84 people were reported missing, and 109 people were hospitalized.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=29 April 2024 |title=At least 45 people die in western Kenya as floodwaters sweep away houses and cars |url=https://apnews.com/article/kenya-flooding-dam-6976f1aae4a8cd31a2f4ebae4f0c7f32 |access-date=1 May 2024 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429122929/https://apnews.com/article/kenya-flooding-dam-6976f1aae4a8cd31a2f4ebae4f0c7f32 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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According to the ministry of water, the floods were caused by a river tunnel under a railway embankment becoming blocked with debris, although a burst dam was initially blamed by the police.<ref name=Reuters /> |
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==Flood and aftermath== |
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==Rescue== |
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The flood was initially attributed by police as triggered by a dam burst. Kenya's government later said the cause was debris blockage at a river tunnel beneath a railway embankment. The debris consisted of stones, trees and mud accumulated from past rain. Officials clarified that no dam is present in the region and the closest dam, Matches Dam, was stable.<ref name="Usher1">{{cite news |last1=Usher |first1=Barbara Plett |last2=Wafula |first2=Ian |title=Kenya flooding: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68896456 |access-date=4 May 2024 |work=BBC News |date=1 May 2024 |archive-date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429100348/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68896456 |url-status=live }}</ref> The area lies in a region of the [[Great Rift Valley]] that is susceptible to flash floods. The water ministry said the flood carried away the railway embankment and poured downstream at "a very high speed and velocity".<ref name=Reuters /><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 April 2024 |title='Don't know how many under mud': 45 killed as dam bursts in flood-hit Kenya |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3260796/kenya-dam-bursts-killing-least-42-death-toll-expected-rise |access-date=29 April 2024 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en |archive-date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429093004/https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3260796/kenya-dam-bursts-killing-least-42-death-toll-expected-rise |url-status=live }}</ref> At least 50 people died<ref name="Usher1" /> and another 84 were missing.<ref name="reuters2">{{cite news |title=With shovels, rescuers search for rising number of Kenya flood victims |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/with-shovels-rescuers-search-rising-number-kenya-flood-victims-2024-04-30/ |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Reuters |date=30 April 2024}}</ref> Seventeen bodies were of children.<ref name="Usher1" /> Officials said the number of dead is a "conservative estimate" as more bodies were thought to be buried under mud.<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 April 2024 |title=Kenya dam burst: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68896456 |access-date=29 April 2024 |language=en-GB |archive-date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429100348/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68896456 |url-status=live }}</ref> One survivor said he was awakened by his home shaking and screams; he managed to escape with his family before the flood arrived.<ref name="Reuters" /> Kamuchiri and Kianugu, two small settelements, were also affected.<ref name="Usher1" /> |
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| ⚫ | Rescuers sifted through debris to recover survivors in the town of |
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== |
==Response== |
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| ⚫ | Rescuers sifted through debris to recover survivors in the town of Mai Mahiu.<ref>{{cite news |title=Scores killed in Kenya after dam bursts following weeks of heavy flooding |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240429-kenya-dam-bursts-killing-at-least-42-governor |access-date=29 April 2024 |work=Agence France-Presse |date=29 April 2024 |archive-date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429092338/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240429-kenya-dam-bursts-killing-at-least-42-governor |url-status=live }}</ref> The injured were treated by medical porsonnel.<ref name="pbs1" /> The [[Kenya Red Cross Society]] said 109 people were hospitalized.<ref name=":0" /> |
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| ⚫ | |||
The Red Cross also established a helpdesk for families to locate missing relatives. Some bodies were found stuck in trees while an unknown number were believed to be buried under mud.<ref name="guardian1">{{cite news |title=Dozens dead after dam bursts amid torrential rain in Kenya |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/29/dam-burst-kenyan-town-mai-mahiu-nakuru |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Agence France-Presse |publisher=The Guardian |date=29 April 2024 |archive-date=30 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430130403/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/29/dam-burst-kenyan-town-mai-mahiu-nakuru |url-status=live }}</ref> |
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To prevent similar disasters, [[Kithure Kindiki]], the interior minister, demanded that all public and private dams and water reservoirs be inspected within 24 hours beginning from the afternoon of 29 April. The nation's highway authority also advised motorists about debris and heavy traffic on roads in the [[Naivasha]] and [[Narok]] area.<ref name="pbs1">{{cite news |title=At least 40 people die in western Kenya after heavy rains cause a dam collapse |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/at-least-40-people-die-in-western-kenya-after-heavy-rains-cause-a-dam-collapse |access-date=1 May 2024 |work=Associated Press |agency=PBS News |date=29 April 2024 |archive-date=1 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501050556/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/at-least-40-people-die-in-western-kenya-after-heavy-rains-cause-a-dam-collapse |url-status=live }}</ref> On X (formerly Twitter), he said arrests would be made for attempts to cross or transport people across flooded rivers or storm water via unsafe modes.<ref name="guardian1" /> |
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==References == |
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| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:2024 floods in Africa]] |
[[Category:2024 floods in Africa]] |
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[[Category:2024 disasters in Kenya]] |
[[Category:2024 disasters in Kenya]] |
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[[Category:April 2024 events in Africa]] |
[[Category:April 2024 events in Africa]] |
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[[Category:Floods in Kenya]] |
[[Category:Floods in Kenya]] |
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[[Category:Dam failures in Africa]] |
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Latest revision as of 21:54, 6 May 2024
| Date | 29 April 2024 |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Nakuru County, Kenya |
| Type | Flash flood |
| Deaths | 50 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 109 hospitalized |
| Missing | 84 |
On 29 April 2024, a blockage in a culvert beneath a railway embankment led to a catastrophic failure and inundation in Kenya, killing at least 50 people.[1] The event was initially described as a 'dam failure'.[2] The flood occurred following heavy rains in the previous month that killed over 110 people. Casualties came from the town of Mai Mahiu, where another 84 people were reported missing, and 109 people were hospitalized.[3]
Flood and aftermath[edit]
The flood was initially attributed by police as triggered by a dam burst. Kenya's government later said the cause was debris blockage at a river tunnel beneath a railway embankment. The debris consisted of stones, trees and mud accumulated from past rain. Officials clarified that no dam is present in the region and the closest dam, Matches Dam, was stable.[4] The area lies in a region of the Great Rift Valley that is susceptible to flash floods. The water ministry said the flood carried away the railway embankment and poured downstream at "a very high speed and velocity".[2][5] At least 50 people died[4] and another 84 were missing.[6] Seventeen bodies were of children.[4] Officials said the number of dead is a "conservative estimate" as more bodies were thought to be buried under mud.[7] One survivor said he was awakened by his home shaking and screams; he managed to escape with his family before the flood arrived.[2] Kamuchiri and Kianugu, two small settelements, were also affected.[4]
Response[edit]
Rescuers sifted through debris to recover survivors in the town of Mai Mahiu.[8] The injured were treated by medical porsonnel.[9] The Kenya Red Cross Society said 109 people were hospitalized.[3]
The Red Cross also established a helpdesk for families to locate missing relatives. Some bodies were found stuck in trees while an unknown number were believed to be buried under mud.[10]
To prevent similar disasters, Kithure Kindiki, the interior minister, demanded that all public and private dams and water reservoirs be inspected within 24 hours beginning from the afternoon of 29 April. The nation's highway authority also advised motorists about debris and heavy traffic on roads in the Naivasha and Narok area.[9] On X (formerly Twitter), he said arrests would be made for attempts to cross or transport people across flooded rivers or storm water via unsafe modes.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ "Kenya flooding: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town". www.bbc.com. 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Flash floods, landslide kill at least 45 in central Kenya". Reuters. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ a b "At least 45 people die in western Kenya as floodwaters sweep away houses and cars". AP News. 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Usher, Barbara Plett; Wafula, Ian (1 May 2024). "Kenya flooding: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ "'Don't know how many under mud': 45 killed as dam bursts in flood-hit Kenya". South China Morning Post. 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "With shovels, rescuers search for rising number of Kenya flood victims". Reuters. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "Kenya dam burst: Around 50 killed in villages near Mai Mahiu town". 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Scores killed in Kenya after dam bursts following weeks of heavy flooding". Agence France-Presse. 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ a b "At least 40 people die in western Kenya after heavy rains cause a dam collapse". Associated Press. PBS News. 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Dozens dead after dam bursts amid torrential rain in Kenya". Agence France-Presse. The Guardian. 29 April 2024. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 1 May 2024.