More than 40 people have died after heavy rains caused a dam to burst in Kenya, sweeping away homes across a vast area of farmland.
Weeks of heavy rain eventually broke the walls of the Patel Dam. The dam, reportedly used for irrigation and fish farming is located in Nakuru County in the town of Solai 190km (120 miles) north-west of the capital, Nairobi.
The floodwaters swept away powerlines, dozens of homes and buildings, including a primary school.
Witnesses said they heard a loud bang before the waves swept through nearly 2km (1.2 miles) of farmland where many people live and work.
“The water has caused huge destruction of both life and property. The extent of the damage has yet to be ascertained,” said Lee Kinyajui, governor of Nakuru County.
Rescue workers are now picking through mud and debris for survivors.
The Red Cross is working with local authorities to determine how many people are missing. The agency is also now busy dispensing food, medical aid and other forms of assistance to the thousands of Nakuru County residents now left homeless.
More than 225,000 people in Kenya have been displaced from their homes since March, according to the government. Military helicopters and personnel in the past week have been deployed to rescue people marooned by the flooding.
Wednesday night’s dam burst has again raised concerns about the state of Kenya’s infrastructure. The National Construction Authority in the past has blamed contractors of bypassing building codes to save on cost.
In April 2016 a residential building in the capital, Nairobi, collapsed during rains, killing 52 people. Last May the wall of a hospital collapsed due to rains, killing six people in Kenya’s second largest city, Mombasa.
