Torrential rains caused devastating landslides and flash floods in the counties of Elgeio Maraquet and West Pokot, Kenya. At least 4,000 people were displaced, 24 people went missing and 6 died, including 2 police officers.
On Saturday evening, April 18, massive landslides and floods hit the villages of Kipchumva and Chesegon. According to the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), the affected areas were unattainable after the bridges were washed away.
Also destroyed was the Secondary School for Girls in Marakvet-IST, as well as several houses, including a police station. The incident occurred after the Lomut River broke through its banks. 24 people, including one policeman, are still reported missing, but authorities assured that search work continues.
At least 4,000 people were displaced, and some villagers rummaged in the trash in the hope of finding their loved ones buried alive in mud and boulders. Four police officers who were buried under the mud were found alive and taken to the hospital by air.
A local resident named Sarah Nekesha said she survived when she, together with her six-month-old baby, held onto a tree branch for more than three hours when she saw several people being washed away by stormy waters.
“When I opened the door, I saw raging water and stones rolling violently toward our house.” I screamed and asked my husband, who was sleeping with the baby, to leave immediately. He almost ignored my distress signals, saying that these were ordinary floods, common in the area, “she said.
– When a huge boulder hit the neighboring house, he went out with the child in his arms and rushed to a safe place, but, thinking, he came back, saying that he had forgotten the keys to the weapons room. I asked him to give me the baby.
– After I took the child, we fled to a safe place, leaving him behind. I don’t know anything about his whereabouts.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>⚠️Heavy rainfall wreaks havoc in West Pokot.<br><br>The flooded Chesekon town in West Pokot County at the border with Elgeyo Marakwer County. Several houses including a police post have been swept away. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/StaySafe?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#StaySafe</a> <a href=”https://t.co/YW3ocNJ3E5″>pic.twitter.com/YW3ocNJ3E5</a></p>— Kenya Met Department (@MeteoKenya) <a href=”https://twitter.com/MeteoKenya/status/1251535698991202304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 18, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>NEWS JUST IN:⚠️ ❗<br><br>Liter Girls High School in Marakwet East was basically wiped out by the Saturday mudslide that left 4 people dead, at least 28 missing and several injured. <a href=”https://t.co/Q9EN3ATOXv”>pic.twitter.com/Q9EN3ATOXv</a></p>— Road Alerts. || 🇰🇪 (@RoadAlertsKE) <a href=”https://twitter.com/RoadAlertsKE/status/1252158608177008645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>ALERT ⚠ ⚠️ ❗<br>This is on kabati, aftermath of the rains today. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadSafety?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#RoadSafety</a><br>📸 Courtesy <a href=”https://t.co/5Br8rAg2RP”>pic.twitter.com/5Br8rAg2RP</a></p>— Road Alerts. || 🇰🇪 (@RoadAlertsKE) <a href=”https://twitter.com/RoadAlertsKE/status/1251551033941245957?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 18, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Liter Girls High school named after as "Uhuru Girls High School" between the border of Marakwet and West Pokot (Sigor constituency) not spared by the rain havoc. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronaviruskenya?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#coronaviruskenya</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/StateHouseKenya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@StateHouseKenya</a> . Many people displaced. Many animals carried , many lives feared swept. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Emergency?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Emergency</a> <a href=”https://t.co/vFFQKvLXKx”>pic.twitter.com/vFFQKvLXKx</a></p>— SAMMY KIPTARUS KIBOR (@Roho_Juu1) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Roho_Juu1/status/1251532705025658881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 18, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Families displaced as heavy rains cause havoc in Nyando, Kisumu Central and Nyakach in Kisumu County.<br><br>The Kenya Red Cross is conducting needs assessment, however progress is being hampered by flooded roads. <a href=”https://t.co/mEwBTscI18″>pic.twitter.com/mEwBTscI18</a></p>— Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) <a href=”https://twitter.com/KenyaRedCross/status/1252257186127978497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
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