Tourists were evacuated by air from Kenya's Maasai Mara national reserve on Wednesday after more than a dozen hotels, lodges, and camps were flooded as heavy rains continue to batter the country.
Tourist accommodation facilities were submerged after a river within the Maasai Mara broke its banks early on Wednesday.
The reserve, in southwestern Kenya, is a popular tourist destination because it features the annual wildebeest migration from the Serengeti in Tanzania.
The Kenya Red Cross said it rescued 36 people by air and 25 others by land. The Narok County government said it deployed two helicopters to carry out evacuations in the expansive conservation area.
Mass casualties
More than 170 people have died across Kenya since mid-March, when the rainy season started, causing flooding, landslides, and destroying infrastructure. The Metrology Department has warned that more rain is expected this week.
On Monday, a river broke through a clogged tunnel in the Mai Mahiu area of western Kenya, sweeping houses away and damaging roads. The incident left 48 people dead and more than 80 others missing.
Search and rescue operations across the Mai Mahiu area are ongoing. On Tuesday, President William Ruto ordered the military to join in the search.
Locals say rescue efforts have been slow due to a lack of equipment to dig through the debris.
The government has urged people living in flood-prone areas to evacuate or be moved forcefully as the water level in two major hydroelectric dams rises to a “historic high.”
Pope Francis tweeted on Tuesday that he was ''spiritually close to the people of Kenya at this time when a severe flood has claimed many lives and destroyed vast areas.''
➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
