This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
On Saturday, massive landslides struck three villages in West Pokot County, northwestern Kenya, leaving a trail of destruction and bereaved families.
According to Governor John Lonyangapuo, the incident was the worst natural disaster to ever hit the region.
West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello said a search was ongoing for the missing, with 15 bodies retrieved so far and over 20 still unaccounted for.
Okello stated, 'So far, 15 bodies have been found and more than 20 are missing. We suspect that they are dead.'
The landslides occurred in Nyarkulian, Muino, and Parua villages after a huge downpour on Friday night.
Most of those who died were sleeping when the ground beneath them began moving, burying them alive.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the destruction of a bridge at Sebit, near Ortum Centre, which cut off the Kitale-Lodwar road and made it impossible for senior government officials to reach the affected villages.
President Uhuru Kenyatta termed the landslide 'devastating', saying it had robbed the country of 'over 30 dear Kenyans and led to massive destruction of property including key infrastructure such as roads and bridges.'
He ordered the deployment of rescue personnel from the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Police Service, and Special Programmes to the affected region.
Deputy President William Ruto expressed his sympathies to families of the dead and the injured, while ODM leader Raila Odinga wished quick recovery to the injured and comfort to those searching for their loved ones.
