NAIROBI, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A somber mood has engulfed Kenya as the nation comes to terms with the magnitude of a flood tragedy that has so far claimed at least 44 lives.
The incident that happened on Wednesday night was due to heavy rains that led to overflow of over 20 million liters of water from a dam at a flower export farm in Nakuru, some 200 km west of Nairobi.
The water swept away an entire village consisting of over 200 houses and hosted more than 5,000 people as it destroyed everything on its path in minutes.
The flood water mixed with mud buried residents alive, ripped apart houses, overturned vehicles and carried away animals.
There are fears that the death toll could hit 100 as over 40 people are still missing, with rescue efforts currently ongoing.
The tragedy is the latest resulting from heavy rains pounding the East African nation for the past two months.
Several schools have also been destroyed disrupting learning for hundreds of students as some learning institutions also host flood victims.
However, the Wednesday disaster is the worst single case since the deluge started two months ago.
Citizens and leaders have united in mourning the dead and comforting the about 40 people who sustained injuries and are admitted to various hospitals in Nakuru.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i termed the tragedy devastating and on Thursday asked the nation to expect the worst.
"I want to prepare Kenyans mentally that the magnitude of the tragedy is huge. The teams are likely to recover and retrieve more bodies from the debris and mud," Matiang'i said.
He asked citizens to stop speculations on the tragedy as the government investigates the incident, including claims that the dam was illegal.
"We are handling this matter seriously to find out whether the accident would have been prevented. For now, it is an ordinary accident where a dam broke its banks and water flew sweeping families along the path. It is a tragedy but it has provided an opportunity to examine the works done on our dams, especially those privately owned," Matiang'i noted.
Following the disaster, citizens in areas hosting dams mainly used for the production of hydropower have called for the reinforcement of the facilities to avert similar tragedy.
Kenya is home to several dams that include Gitaru, Kiambere, Kindaruma and Masinga, among others.
The calls came as the government started to empty two dams at the affected Patel farm, which were found to be structurally unsound.
However, as the country grapples with the heavy rains, the Meteorological Department has painted a gloomy picture that shows the East African nation could face more crisis.
On Thursday, the department said the rains would continue for the next one month and would be heavy especially in Central, Rift Valley and at the Coast.
The department has ruled out that the heavy rains are El-nino, noting that the country is just experiencing more downpour than has been the case in the past years.
