Large Number of People Died In Capsized Boat in Kenya Floods

An unspecified number of passengers are missing after the boat they were travelling in capsized in Kenya’s North-Eastern area of Madogo.

The passengers were crossing a flooded area in Kona Punda heading to the neighboring Garissa town when the incident happened on Sunday evening.

Ali Roba, the senator of the neighboring Mandera County, said 28 people died in the incident. Authorities are, however, yet to give the confirmed death toll.

About 23 people have been rescued and are currently receiving care at a local hospital, the Kenya Red Cross said.

It is unclear how many people were on board at the time of the incident. But the Kenya Red Cross said the boat was carrying a large number of people.

Police said they were working with the rescue teams to search for missing victims.

Flooding in the area is caused by the overflowing of dams upstream, local media reported.

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Kenya’s main airport was flooded on Saturday, forcing some flights to be diverted, as videos of a flooded runway, terminals and cargo section were shared online.

The airport’s manager, Henry Kegoye, said the flooding was from ongoing refurbishment work that was due to be completed in June.

Heavy rains had overwhelmed a temporary drainage system set up by the contractor.

More than 200,000 people across the country have been affected by the floods, with houses in flood-prone areas submerged and people seeking refuge in schools.

President William Ruto had instructed the National Youth Service to provide land for use as a temporary camp for those affected.