Twenty two bodies have been identified following the Patel Dam tragedy that saw raging waters cause massive destruction in Solai, Nakuru.
One body was found on Friday morning, raising the toll to 45 since search and rescue operations began after the dam burst on Wednesday night.
The toll, the highest in a single flood-related incident, brings to 162 the number of people who have died countrywide as a result of floods since heavy rains started in March.
Speaking at the scene, Rift Valley Commissioner Mwongo Chimwanga said the identified bodies were at the Nakuru county morgue.
Regarding safety measures to prevent another tragedy, Chimwanga said: “Water is being discharged from the second dam to reduce the level to 30-40 percent.”
Red Cross reported that 39 people had been rescued in a joint operation with the county and the national government, as rains continue pounding the area. They were taken to Bahati Sub-county and Nakuru County Referral Hospitals.
Among villages affected are those in the farmlands of Nyakinyua, Endao, and Arutani where hundreds of people were displaced.