Khaberni - Police in Kenya have announced that at least 13 people have died in a landslide that occurred this Saturday morning in the Rift Valley in the west of the country, following heavy rains.
Peter Mulungi, police chief of Elgeyo Marakwet County told Reuters that 19 people were rescued, while an unknown number still remain missing.
In an official statement, Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said that helicopters from the army and police have been deployed to assist in rescue efforts.
In recent years, Kenya has witnessed hundreds of deaths due to landslides and floods, which scientists attribute to the effects of climate change leading to more severe and frequent weather events.
In the worst incident last year, 61 people died due to a mudslide and sudden floods in central Kenya.
The Ugandan Red Cross reported this week that landslides in neighboring Eastern Uganda have killed at least 13 people.
