Local police are still on the ground. / CGTN Photo
The death toll from a burst Kenyan dam has risen to 47, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing the local police chief. The local policy force are still on the ground, said Japhet Kioko, the police chief for Rongai division.
A dam burst its banks in the Kenyan town of Solai late Wednesday night following weeks of heavy rain, causing "huge destruction" and deaths, affecting around 2,000 people.
"The water has caused huge destruction of both life and property. The extent of the damage has yet to be ascertained," Lee Kinyajui, governor of Nakuru, said in a statement.
The burst happened in Solai, Nakuru county, about 190 km northwest of the capital, Nairobi.
According to Kenya Red Cross, at least 39 people have been rescued and dozens remain unaccounted for.
Kenya, like other countries in East Africa, has experienced heavy rain over the past two months. The government said on Wednesday that the rain has killed 132 people and displaced 222,456 since March.
