Dam Collapse Claims Dozens of Lives in Western Kenya

Oluwasegun SanusiApril 30, 20241 Mins read108

On Monday, the Old Kijabe Dam, nestled in the Mai Mahiu area of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, succumbed to the relentless force of nature, unleashing a catastrophic deluge that has claimed at least 45 lives, with scores more feared missing.

The calamity, marked by a relentless wall of water, has ravaged homes and severed a crucial transportation artery, exacerbating the chaos and hampering rescue efforts.

Stephen Kirui, a senior police official, painted a picture of the disaster, recounting how the dam’s collapse sent torrents of water cascading downstream, carrying with it a deadly concoction of mud, rocks, and uprooted trees.

The resulting havoc has left communities reeling in shock and mourning, with enormous loss.

As emergency responders raced against time to pick survivors from the wreckage and administer lifesaving aid, Susan Kihika, the Governor of Nakuru County, has been visiting the areas affected by the devastation; she reassured distraught onlookers, vowing to leave no stone unturned in the quest for relief and recovery.

We are currently going around to all our dams and draining the water so this doesn’t happen again, she affirmed.

The impact of the calamity reverberated far beyond the immediate vicinity of the dam, with vehicles trapped in debris on one of Kenya’s busiest highways, rendering it impassable.

Paramedics battled against the odds, wading through murky waters to reach those needing urgent medical attention.

With large swathes of land submerged beneath the floodwaters, the full extent of the devastation is yet to be fully comprehended.

Source: Africanews