MOSCOW, May 13. At least 277 people in Kenya died as a result of heavy rains since March, France Press reports, citing data from local authorities.
“Heavy rains, amplified by the El Niño weather phenomenon, have killed at least 277 people in flood-related disasters since March, according to government data,” the agency said, citing government data.
Earlier, local television channel NTV Kenya, citing a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, reported that the death toll from floods in Kenya since March had reached 238, with more than 70 people considered missing.
According to the report, more than 290 thousand people were forced to leave their homes. However, the number of victims may increase, since 75 people are considered missing.
France Press reports, citing the government, that more than 90% of schools in Kenya resumed work on Monday. Schools were previously scheduled to open on April 19, after the end of the three-week holiday, but their opening was postponed twice because some schools, as well as roads, were damaged by rain.
At the end of March, Agence France-Presse reported that heavy rains flooded the streets in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, at least ten people died. The agency noted that Kenya has been suffering from incessant downpours in recent weeks as the El Niño weather phenomenon «exacerbates seasonal rainfall.»
The Kenyan Red Cross said on its social media page X that it believed the flooding was due to a nearby river overflowing its banks.