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Kenya Floods Claim Nearly 200 Lives as Mass Evacuations Ordered

HeadlineMay 02, 2024

Kenya’s president on Tuesday ordered the nationwide evacuation of all residents living along river banks, as the country continues to be devastated by massive floods. On Monday, at least 50 people were killed after a dam burst in the Rift Valley, with torrents of water and mud gushing down and destroying homes in its path. Large areas of Kenya have been devastated by flooding over the past two months, killing some 170 people. Flood survivors described the chaos.

Anne Gachie: “When I opened the dining room door, the water gushed in and made its way through the kitchen. That is how I got out of the house. My husband was forced back into the house by the water, and by that time the house had already started coming down. He managed to quickly maneuver and get out. My daughters who were in the next room were swept out of the house by the force of the water.”

Reuters reports 10,000 people have lost their homes in Nairobi alone due to floods.

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