Dam bursts in Kenya amid flooding, killing at least 10

April 29 (UPI) -- Heavy rains that have plagued Kenya have caused a dam to burst on Monday, killing at least 10 people, according to authorities who fear the death toll will rise.

Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi for Nakuru County confirmed 10 bodies have been recovered though search-and-rescue operations are underway after a dam in Old Kijabe burst and flooded parts of Maai Mahiu, which is located about 30 miles north of the capital Nairobi, Nation reported.

"The old dam burst early Monday before the water swept away several houses," he said. "Several people have also been rushed to hospital."

At least 15 families have been displaced, he added.

The dam burst as Kenya has been slammed with severe flooding caused by unusually strong El Niño rains, killing 103 people as of Monday morning, government spokesman Isaac Maigua Mwaura said in a press conference.

More than 28,400 households have been displaced, accounting for 185,297 people, he said.

"Kenya is facing a worsening flood crisis due to the combined effects of El Niño and the ongoing March-May 2024 long rains," Jagan Chapagain, secretary general and CEO of the International Federation of Red Cross, said in a statement.

"Since November 2023, El Niño triggered devastating floods and river overflows, causing more than a hundred deaths and widespread damage."

According to the IFRC, households have been washed away, farmland submerged and livestock drowned.

"Some of the hardest hit areas have been the semi-arid lands where pastoralism is the economic driver," the IFRC said in a statement. "These areas are still recovering from the worst drought in 40 years."