Death Toll Rises to 21 in Elgeyo Marakwet Landslide

Strategic Insights -

Kenya's Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen announced that the bodies of 21 people killed in a landslide in Marakwet East have been transferred to a nearby airstrip for treatment and identification. The government paused search and rescue operations on Saturday evening but resumed them on Sunday, with military and police choppers on standby to transport relief items to the affected areas. Meanwhile, landslides and flash flooding in Uganda have killed several people, including four in a mudslide in Kapsomo village, and have destroyed homes, crops, and community infrastructure.

Key Takeaways:

  • The death toll from the landslide in Elgeyo Marakwet has risen to 21, with 30 people still unaccounted for.
  • 25 people with serious injuries have been airlifted to receive further medical attention.
  • The Kenyan Red Cross is helping to coordinate rescue efforts, but the most affected areas are still not accessible by road due to mudslides and flash flooding.
  • The government has paused and resumed search and rescue operations, with military and police choppers on standby to transport relief items to the affected areas.
  • Kenya is in its second rainy season, typically experiencing wet weather for a few weeks.
  • The government has urged people living near seasonal rivers and areas that experienced landslides to move to safer ground.
  • Flash flooding and landslides have also affected parts of Uganda, killing several people and destroying homes, crops, and community infrastructure.

Statistics:

  • 21 people killed in the Elgeyo Marakwet landslide
  • 30 people still unaccounted for
  • 25 people airlifted for medical attention
  • 4 people killed in a mudslide in Uganda's Kapsomo village
  • Several villages in Uganda affected by floods and landslides

Sources:

  • [Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen on Twitter]
  • [Kenyan Red Cross]
  • [Capital FM]
  • [AllAfrica Global Media]