The death toll from a landslide triggered by heavy rain in Kenya’s West Pokot region has risen to 42, the region’s top government official has said.
A local journalist quoted Country Commissioner Apollo Okelo as saying that 11 bodies are yet to be retrieved.
A couple lost seven children in the disaster, a leading Kenyan media outlet is reporting
Officials say villages have been cut off by flooded roads and at least one bridge has reportedly swept away.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement on Saturday that his “heartfelt condolences” were with the relative and friends of the victims.
Mr Kenyatta said there had been “massive destruction” of property and infrastructure, and he had ordered the deployment of armed forces and rescue services to the area to help.
At least 50 people were killed and thousands displaced from their homes in the region since October, aid groups said earlier this month.
Kenya is experiencing a heavier than usual rainy season, the Kenya Meteorological Department said.
