Kenya Red Cross workers search for missing persons at the scene where tourists and their tour guide were swept away by floods at the Hell's Gate National Park in Naivasha, Kenya, on Sept. 2, 2019. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on Monday said that search and rescue efforts have been called off after all the bodies of the missing tourists and their guide were accounted for. (Photo by Robert Manyara/Xinhua)
NAIVASHA, Kenya, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said on Monday search and rescue efforts have been called off after all the bodies of all the missing tourists and their guide were accounted for.
KWS said one body was recovered on Sunday evening, three (Sunday) overnight and three others this morning, bringing to seven the death toll from the tragic flash floods at the Hells Gate National Park in Naivasha, about 90km northwest of Nairobi.
"The six Kenyans and one Indian tourist were washed away alongside their local guide from the Olkarian Community Tour Guides by sudden flash floods as they explored the gorge," said KWS in a statement issued in Nairobi.
The wildlife agency said it's reaching out to next of kin to share details of the sad incident and plan next course of action together.
"We are also holding counseling sessions with the bereaved families to help them cope with the untimely deaths of their loved ones," it said.
KWS said the gorge has been closed indefinitely due to ongoing rains in the region and a helicopter is on the ground to reinforce the search and rescue efforts. However, other parts of the popular park remain open to the public, it said.
The six family members who were part of a group of 13 drove from the capital, Nairobi to visit the park that is known for its alluring landscapes including gorges and hills.
The accident came seven years after a similar incident left seven youths from Nairobi dead after been swept by the raging floods.
In the latest incident, the group of hikers that were accompanied by two guides went to the gorge after being assured that it was safe despite the drizzle.
According to KWS, flash floods are natural phenomena which occur when low-lying areas experience rapid and sudden flooding from rains in neighboring high areas.
"Even when it has not rained in the low-lying areas, such floods occur when large volumes of water from other regions flow downstream. For Hells Gate flash floods, rains in Nyandarua and Nakuru counties rapidly flow into the huge gullies in the gorges," it said.
KWS said it will partner with other stakeholders in the area to enhance early warning systems to detect heavy rains at their onset.
"This will facilitate the evacuation of the gorge early enough to prevent such occurrences in the future," it said.
