Kenya flood death toll since March climbs to 70

Nairobi: The number of people killed in floods in Kenya due to heavier than usual rainfall since the start of the monsoon in March has risen to 70, a...

Nairobi: The number of people killed in floods in Kenya due to heavier than usual rainfall since the start of the monsoon in March has risen to 70, a government spokesperson said Friday.

Kenya and other countries in East Africa -- a region highly vulnerable to climate change -- have been pounded by heavier than usual rainfall in recent weeks, compounded by the El Nino weather pattern.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate pattern typically associated with increased heat worldwide, leading to drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere.

"The official tally of fellow Kenyans who regrettably have lost their lives due to the flooding situation now stands at 70 lives," government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said on X, after torrential rains killed more than a dozen people in the capital Nairobi this week.

Mwaura said the government would issue a "comprehensive brief" following a meeting with the national emergency response committee after the extreme weather caused chaos across Nairobi this week, blocking roads and engulfing homes in slum districts.