This archive report was first published on 1 September 2019.
On September 1, 2019, a devastating incident occurred at Hell's Gate National Park in Kenya, where five tourists and a guide were swept away by flash floods.
According to reports, the tourists were on an excursion despite the rainy season, and the incident took place at around 4 pm when heavy rains hit the areas surrounding Mount Longonot.
A survivor of the ordeal alerted authorities attached to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) after escaping the flash floods, which took over the gorges.
The survivor, who narrowly escaped the tragedy, reported that his wife was among those swept away by the floods.
Despite the intense search and rescue efforts, high levels of water around the gorges hindered the efforts for a greater part of Sunday evening.
Nakuru County Police Commander Stephen Matu confirmed the incident, adding that more men had been deployed at the scene to aid in search and rescue operations.
This is not the first time a tragedy involving floods has hit the park, with a similar incident occurring in 2012 where several youth from a Nairobi church perished in the gorges.
