At least 45 people die in western Kenya as floodwaters sweep away houses and cars

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Flash floods and a landslide swept through houses and cut off a major road in Kenya, killing at least 45 people and leaving dozens missing on Monday, the Interior Ministry said.

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Rescue workers recovered bodies after a boat capsized in Kenya’s northern Garissa county on Sunday night. Heavy rain in Kenya has caused flooding that has killed nearly 100 people and postponed the opening of schools.

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - People try to clear the area after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - Paramedics carry an injured woman after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April. 29, 2024. (AP Photo)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - People gather on a road near where a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - People gather around a bus that was damaged after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - A chair is stuck in muddy water after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - A car sits in mud after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, on Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - A child carrying a suitcase walks near a damaged area after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - People try to clear a bus after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - People walk through a damaged area after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - A child walks through an area after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

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CORRECTS REFERENCE FROM BURST DAM TO BLOCKED TUNNEL - People gather near a damaged house after a river broke through a blocked tunnel causing floodwaters in the Mai Mahiu area of Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

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People cross a flooded area where another boat carrying a group of people has capsized at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties, North Eastern Kenya, Sunday, April 28, 2024. According to the Kenya Red Cross, 23 people have been rescued, while others still remain missing as search and rescue operations continue. Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to dozens of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people, according to the U.N. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

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People cross a flooded area where another boat carrying a group of people has capsized at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties, North Eastern Kenya, Sunday, April 28, 2024. According to the Kenya Red Cross, over a dozen people have been rescued, while others still remain missing as search and rescue operations continue. Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to dozens of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people, according to the U.N. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

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A man swims from a submerged church compound, after the River Tana broke its banks following heavy rains at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties, North Eastern Kenya, Sunday, April. 28, 2024. Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to dozens of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people, according to the U.N. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

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People cross a flooded area at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties, North Eastern Kenya, Sunday, April. 28, 2024. Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to dozens of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people, according to the U.N. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

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Children fleeing floodwaters that wreaked havoc at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties, North Eastern Kenya, Sunday, April 28, 2024. The East African country has seen weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, as well as in the country’s western and central regions. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Flash floods and a landslide swept through houses and cut off a major road in Kenya, killing at least 45 people and leaving dozens missing on Monday, the Interior Ministry said.

Police official Stephen Kirui initially told The Associated Press that the Old Kijabe Dam, located in the Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley region that is prone to flash floods, had collapsed, carrying with it mud, rocks and uprooted trees.

But in a statement late Monday the Nakuru County said that the water mass that caused the flash floods was a clogged railway tunnel.

Vehicles were entangled in the debris on one of Kenya’s busiest highways and paramedics treated the injured as waters submerged large areas.

The Kenya Red Cross said 109 people were hospitalized while 49 others were reported missing.

William Lokai told Citizen TV that he was woken up by a loud bang and shortly after, water filled his house. He escaped through the roof together with his brother and children.

Ongoing rains in Kenya have caused flooding that has killed at least 169 people since mid-March, and the country’s Meteorology Department has warned of more rainfall.

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Kenya’s Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki ordered the inspection of all public and private dams and water reservoirs within 24 hours starting Monday afternoon to avert future incidents. The ministry said recommendations for evacuations and resettlement would be done after the inspection.

The Kenya National Highways Authority issued an alert warning motorists to brace for heavy traffic and debris that blocked the roads around Naivasha and Narok, west of the capital, Nairobi.

The wider East African region is experiencing flooding due to the heavy rains, and 155 people have reportedly died in Tanzania while more than 200,000 people affected in neighboring Burundi.

A boat capsized in Kenya’s northern Garissa county on Sunday night, and the Kenyan Red Cross said it had rescued 23 people but more than a dozen people were still missing.

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.

More than 200,000 people across Kenya have been hit 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.

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