This archive report was first published on 3 September 2019.
Flash Floods at Hell's Gate National Park Claim Seven Lives ¶
On Sunday evening, a devastating flash flood swept through Hell's Gate National Park, claiming seven lives and leaving several others shaken.
According to survivors, the tragedy occurred when a group of tourists, including a family of 13, were caught off guard by the sudden and intense floodwaters.
One of the survivors, Daniel Ohola, recounted the harrowing experience, saying:
"We arrived at the park at around 3 pm and paid the requisite fees. We were assigned a tour guide who led us into the gorges. We were optimistic that our Sunday would be fun before returning to Nairobi,"
Ohola said.
As the group walked through the gorges, they noticed a group of tourists of Asian descent, who appeared to be from one family, accompanied by their tour guide and driver.
However, their fun-filled excursion quickly turned into a nightmare when the group heard a loud roar, which they initially thought was coming from the nearby geothermal projects.
"We started hearing noise from the upper side of the gorges and thought it was from the geothermal wells. It became louder and louder and our guide told us to move up the walls as he suspected flash floods were on the way," Ohola said.
Within minutes, the water started flowing through the dry gorges, and the group found themselves trapped in a furious river flowing at supersonic speed.
Ohola said the group took shelter under the canopy of the gorges, holding hands together to avoid falling into the waters.
However, as the water levels rose, the group started moving towards an escape route, during which a tragedy struck.
"All of us were terrified and were trembling as we walked towards an exit. A woman who was at the tail end slipped and fell into the waters. The next thing I saw five people being washed away by the waters. It happened so fast that we couldn’t save them," Ohola recounted.
Another survivor, Mr. Ivraj Singh Hayer, miraculously escaped but was helpless as his wife, five other relatives, and a tour guide were washed away by the torrent floods.
"Before I decided to take the detour…I was very inquisitive about the safety but the guides assured that it was well," Mr. Hayer said.
With 13 family members in tow, they trudged on before slight showers at around 3 pm triggered alarm bells, with Mr. Hayer expressing his concern but was told the last tragedy occurred almost nine years ago.
"Suddenly, the water started flowing downstream and me and my driver held at each other as my relatives were being swept away," he said.
For about one hour, they clung to their dear lives, with the driver holding on a stone while Mr. Hayer and his niece clung on him.
"It took long for us to be rescued leading to the death of the seven," he told NTV reporters.
