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Kenya orders police to probe dam tragedy as death toll rises to 44

Xinhua,May 11, 2018 Adjust font size:

NAKURU, Kenya, May 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's chief public prosecutor on Friday ordered the police to launch investigations into the cause of the dam that burst its banks on Wednesday night, killing 44 people in northwest Kenya.

Noordin Haji, Director of Public Prosecutions, directed Joseph Boinnet, the Inspector General of Police, to carry out thorough probe to establish the exact cause of Patel Dam tragedy that has left 40 people still missing.

"DPP has directed the IG @JBoinnet to carry out thorough investigations to establish cause & culpability if any of Patel Dam disaster & forward resultant investigation file to him in 14 days #SolaiDamTragedy," Haji said in a tweet posted on the ODPP's handle.

The Patel Dam, located on private farmland and used for irrigation and fish farming, broke its banks and swept hundreds of homes downstream.

Pius Masai, the Deputy Director and Communication Officer at the National Disaster Management Unit, said the extent of the damage was yet to be ascertained and rescue and relief efforts were underway.

"The number of dead bodies is 44, admitted 41, missing 40 as per 19:00hrs," Masai said on Thursday evening, adding that the rescue operation resumed on Friday

The East African nation has been experiencing unprecedented flooding in recent days as torrential rains pound the country shortly after it had come out of a severe drought season marked by hunger and water scarcity. Enditem

 

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