This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
On Sunday, Rift Valley Regional Coordinator George Natembeya confirmed that 38 people have lost their lives in landslides that occurred in Nyarkulian and Parua villages in West Pokot County.
According to Natembeya, 25 bodies have been recovered so far, while a search is ongoing for the remaining 13 individuals.
However, West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo had earlier stated that the death toll from the incident has risen to 43.
Several agencies, led by the Ministry of Interior, Kenya Red Cross, and the West Pokot County Government, are involved in the recovery exercise, with the bodies being transported to the Kapenguria Referral Hospital mortuary.
The landslides occurred in Tapach and Parua in Pokot South, and in Tamkal in Pokot Central, after a night of heavy downpour on Saturday.
At the scene of the tragic incident, shoes and clothing believed to be of locals who were trying to save their lives were scattered everywhere.
Some of the recovered bodies had been swept as far as seven kilometres downstream.
Transport between Kitale and Lodwar remains paralyzed for the second day at the Sebit bridge that was cut off, while traffic flow in the county has also been affected with major roads cut off.
The landslides occurred in Nyarkulian, Parua in Pokot South, and Muino in Tamkal in Pokot Central.
As of now, 16 patients are receiving treatment at Kapenguria County Hospital following the landslide incident.
Among the patients is William Lokapel, a local resident who lost three children in the incident and whose bodies have since been moved to the Kapenguria Hospital morgue.
Mr. Lokapel's wife and one other child survived the incident but were unable to rescue the other three children.
The county government has set up counseling centres in all areas affected by the landslide.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i stated on Saturday that military and police choppers have been deployed to scale up responses to the tragedy.
“The Government has deployed Military and Police Choppers to scale up responses and respond to immediate needs of affected families. While rescue and recovery efforts remain the priority, a full assessment into the extent of damage caused continues to be a challenge due to harsh weather conditions,” read the statement.
