Floods kill 45 in central Kenya after dam bursts

MAI MAHIU, April 29

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Heavy rains in central Kenya killed at least 45 people on Monday when floodwaters swept away houses and cars in the town of Mai Mahiu.

The police said the flooding was caused by a dam that burst, although two local residents said the water had actually broken through a railway embankment after a tunnel that had channeled the water under the tracks was blocked by an earlier landslide. The floodwaters also carried away trees and railway lines.

Road and Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said at least 45 people had been killed, 200 families had been displaced and 150 victims had been rescued. He said he feared the death toll would rise further. — Reuters