People pull a car submerged in flood water in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, May 1, 2024. (Photo by Joy Nabukewa/Xinhua)
Kenyan authorities on Sunday said nine more people lost their lives in the previous 24 hours due to the devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains, bringing the death toll to 228.
NAIROBI, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities on Sunday said nine more people lost their lives in the previous 24 hours due to the devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains, bringing the death toll to 228.
The Ministry of Interior and National Administration, however, said tropical cyclone Hidaya in the Indian Ocean has weakened following its landfall at Mafia Island in Tanzania on Saturday.
The ministry said a ban on beach activities, including fishing, swimming and non-essential transport, within the country's territorial waters remains in force until midnight on May 6 due to Hidaya.
"Heavy rainfall is still expected offshore along the coast region with strong winds and large waves already experienced in Kwale County," the ministry said.
People look at a section of a railway line destroyed by flash floods and landslides at Kijabe Forest in Kiambu County, Kenya, on May 1, 2024. (Photo by Sheikh Maina/Xinhua)
It said that 212,630 people have been affected by the displacement of 41,526 households, and that 62,061 people have been placed in 138 camps for internally displaced people.
The ministry said 227,238 people have been impacted by the heavy rains while a total of 1,967 schools have been affected by the floods.
Multi-agency teams drawn from the Kenya Defense Forces, the National Youth Service and humanitarian agencies are coordinating rescue efforts and providing essential help to those displaced, the government said.
Several parts of the country remain cut off and inaccessible after roads and bridges were washed away, marooning thousands of residents, disrupting business and forcing indefinite postponement of schools' reopening.
"The government is carrying out assessments of damaged roads and mobilizing resources to address critical sections and restore safe travel," the ministry said. ■