Kenya landslides kill 21, destroy over 1,000 homes amid heavy rains

Nairobi [Kenya], November 2 : At least 21 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed after heavy rains triggered landslides in Kenya's western Rift Valley region, officials confirmed on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera.

Kenyan Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said in a statement on X that at least 25 people with "serious injuries" were airlifted from Elgeyo-Marakwet County to the city of Eldoret for medical care, while around 30 others remain missing.

He added that search and rescue operations would resume on Sunday with support from security forces.

"Preparation to supply more food and non-food relief items to the victims is underway. Military and police choppers are on standby to transport the items," Murkomen said.

The landslide struck overnight in the hilly Chesongoch area of Elgeyo-Marakwet County in western Kenya, one of the regions worst affected by the country's ongoing short rainy season, Al Jazeera reported.

A resident, Stephen Kittony, told Citizen Television that he heard a loud, thunderous noise before rushing out of his home with his children.

"We ran in different directions," he said, describing the chaos as the mudslide swept through their village.

Aerial photographs shared by the Kenyan Red Cross showed widespread flooding and mudslides across the region.

The organisation stated that it was working closely with government agencies to coordinate emergency response and air evacuations for those injured.

"Access to some of the affected areas remains extremely difficult due to flooding and blocked routes," the Red Cross said on X.

The Chesongoch region, known for its steep terrain, has a history of deadly landslides, Al Jazeera noted.

Similar incidents killed dozens in 2010 and 2012, while in 2020, flash floods swept away a shopping centre in the area.

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