At least 13 killed in Kenya landslide after heavy rains hit Rift Valley
NAIROBI, November 1 – At least 13 people have died and several others remain missing after a landslide struck western Kenya’s Rift Valley early Saturday morning, following hours of heavy rainfall, local police confirmed.
Elgeyo-Marakwet County Police Commander Peter Mulinge told Reuters that 19 people were rescued, though rescue teams are still searching for an unknown number of missing residents believed to be trapped beneath debris.
Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said in a statement that military and police helicopters have been deployed to assist in rescue and evacuation efforts. Emergency teams are working through difficult terrain, as persistent rainfall continues to hamper operations.
The East African nation has faced increasingly severe floods and landslides in recent years, with experts warning that climate change is driving more frequent and intense weather events.
In one of the country’s deadliest recent disasters, 61 people were killed last year in mudslides and flash floods in central Kenya.
Neighboring Uganda has also been hit by heavy rains this week, with the Uganda Red Cross reporting at least 13 deaths following landslides in the country’s eastern region.
Authorities in both countries are urging residents in high-risk areas to relocate to safer ground as rainfall is expected to continue over the coming days.
