Kenya Landslide Leaves Over Twenty Dead, Thirty Missing
(MENAFN) A catastrophic landslide has claimed at least 21 lives in Elgeyo Marakwet County, western Kenya, with over 30 individuals still unaccounted for, officials confirmed Saturday.
Kipchumba Murkomen, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, reported that emergency responders had extracted 25 seriously wounded victims who were transported to regional medical facilities.
"We have paused our search and rescue operations for today. We have confirmed the loss of 21 people to this tragedy, while more than 30 others are still unaccounted for as reported by their families," Murkomen told reporters at the disaster site.
The cabinet secretary announced that recovery operations would recommence Sunday, with combined forces including military personnel, police units, and local volunteer teams deployed to the affected zones.
Rescue efforts have encountered severe obstacles from ongoing mudslides and impassable roadways following torrential downpours that triggered the disaster, which devastated multiple villages throughout the county.
Murkomen indicated that authorities were preparing to distribute additional humanitarian aid to survivors, while infrastructure crews worked to repair damaged transportation routes for emergency vehicle access.
Officials have evacuated at-risk households from landslide-vulnerable zones to protected locations and created a missing persons reporting center as components of the crisis response framework.
The landslide—precipitated by prolonged heavy rainfall over several days—has demolished residential structures and forced countless families from their homes. Government representatives have cautioned residents in susceptible regions to maintain alertness and comply with evacuation directives.
The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued warnings that intense precipitation will continue across multiple areas, elevating threats of flash flooding and landslides, especially in mountainous terrain and riverside communities.
Weather analysts noted the region's history of comparable catastrophes, frequently connected to expanding land development and inadequate soil management practices, which have rendered the landscape increasingly susceptible to erosion and landslides during intense rainfall periods.
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