Kenya floods death toll rises to 188 as heavy rains persist 

A member of the National Youth Service (NYS) searches for the bodies of missing people after flash floods wiped out several homes following heavy rains in Kamuchiri village of Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, Kenya, May 1, 2024. Flood waters cover a bridge in the flooded Maasai Mara National Reserve, that left dozens of tourists stranded in Narok County, Kenya, May 1, 2024.

The number of people who have lost their lives in devastating floods in Kenya since March has risen to 188, with dozens still missing, the interior ministry said on Thursday. Torrential rains in Kenya and other countries in East Africa have caused deadly havoc, with floods and landslides forcing people from their homes, destroying roads, bridges and other infrastructure. "As a result, the country has regrettably recorded 188 fatalities due to severe weather conditions," the ministry said in a statement. It added that 125 people had been reported injured and 90 people were currently missing, while 165,000 have been displaced. On Wednesday, nearly 100 tourists were among people marooned after a river overflowed in Kenya's famed Maasai Mara wildlife reserve following a heavy downpour.