Published On 1/11/2025
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Last update: 15:07 (Mecca time)
Police in Kenya announced that at least 13 people were killed in a landslide that occurred on Saturday morning in the Rift Valley in the west of the country, following heavy rains.
Elgeyo Marakwet District Police Chief Peter Mulenge told Reuters that 19 people had been rescued, while an unknown number were still missing.
In an official statement, Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said that army and police helicopters were deployed to assist in the rescue efforts.
In recent years, Kenya has witnessed hundreds of deaths as a result of landslides and floods, and scientists attribute this to the effects of climate change, which leads to more severe and frequent weather events.
In the worst incident last year, 61 people died as a result of a mudslide and flash floods in central Kenya.
The Uganda Red Cross also reported this week that landslides in neighboring eastern Uganda killed at least 13 people.