Villagers mourn after people swept away by raging river in Kenya

STORY: Residents of a Kenyan village are still coming to terms with their loss after a truck full of people was swept away by raging floodwaters.

A large group of people boarded a truck in hopes of being ferried across a swollen river in Makueni on Friday.

As it moved across the river the truck was suddenly overwhelmed by the powerful currents.

People fell into the water as it tipped over and were carried away as onlookers rushed to the riverbank.

James Mutuku was an eyewitness and is a relative of one of the victims.

“There were two trucks. I was in the one that went ahead,” he says. “Our truck crossed without any issues and once we got to the other side of the river, we heard screams.”

Some survivors were pulled out... but several bodies have been recovered down river.

The exact number of casualties remains unclear.

Heavy rains across Kenya have displaced more than 11,000 people, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society.

At least 75 people have been killed, a government spokesperson said on Saturday.

The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned more heavy rains are expected in the coming week.