Residents flee as floods ravage Tana River, Taita

A man walks past the Kimorigo chiefs office sign post.The office was also submerged by floods.Photo/Raphael Mwadime
A man walks past the Kimorigo chiefs office sign post.The office was also submerged by floods.Photo/Raphael Mwadime

More than 1200 families in Bura constituency have been marooned for the past three days following the recent floods after River tana burst its banks in Tanariver county.

And in Taveta constituency Hundreds of families have been affected by floods following heavy rains in neighboring Tanzania.One person died early this week after he drowned while trying to cross River Lumi after it was flooded.

Learning at three schools in the Kimorigo location has been affected following flood water which have submerged the classrooms and houses.

Road network linking Tanariver and Garisa County was also cut off following the flash floods making it difficult for supplies from Nairobi to be transported to Hola and other areas.

Kenya Red cross officials told the Star on phone that the families affected were unable to reach to safer grounds because the water levels were very high.

The Red Cross officer in charge of Disaster in Tanariver Michael Alyabei who is on the ground said most of the areas were not accessible .

He said they managed to conduct an aerial survey yesterday to establish the effects of the floods and found out that many people majority the elderly, women and children had been marooned.

“We did an aerial survey yesterday and found the situation was worse, over 1200 families are marooned and are unable to move to higher grounds,’’ he said.

Alyabei said they managed to rescue elderly people including a blind woman who had been marooned to safer grounds.

Those affected he said had lost all their houses, households properties, farms and require urgent assistance to move to safer grounds.

The Red Cross official said he had dispatched scouts to the affected areas to help in the rescue mission before things worsen.

Some of the victims he said were trying to use their own means to move to safer zones since the water levels had begun to go down.

Other areas affected by the floods in the area were village five, six and eight which required urgent intervention.

Alyabei said the marooned victims had little food for survival but would require relief supplies if situation worsens.

He said the Kenya Red Cross together with the provincial Administration were working on logistics to assist them during the ongoing crisis.

In Tanadelta District 425 families had lost their farms after they were swept away by flash floods.

Area District Commissioner David Kiprop said those affected were Mnazini, Maziwa, Kulesa, Sera, and Babaany

Kiprop said the water levels in Kibusu, Shirikisho, Galili and Danisa villages were also high and appealed to residents to move to higher grounds to avoid any loss of life.

“So far there are no casualties but am sending an urgent appeal to the Tanadelta residents living along river Tana to immediately relocate to higher and safer grounds to avoid an unnecessary catastrophe,’’ he said on phone.

Residents of Malindi and Magarini have also been ordered to move to higher grounds following the fears of floods in the region after River Sabaki water levels increased since the rains began in the Mount Kenya region.

Magarini DC Richard Karani said already residents of floods prone areas like Dagamura and Baricho had already moved to safer zones and urged those who were still in their homes to relocate immediately.

The floods come merely four days after the meteorological department warned of possible floods in the country following the rains.

Ends

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