Six residents of Mathare North, Nairobi County, have been reported missing after their homes were submerged due to the ongoing heavy rains and flooding.
Heavy rains on Tuesday night led some inhabitants to flee their homes and seek safety on roofs.
George Aguko said the houses began flooding at 2 a.m. when floodwater from the Nairobi River entered their dwellings.
LIVE SCENES from Mathare. pic.twitter.com/jWatY4iw4L
— Gabriel Oguda (@gabrieloguda) April 24, 2024Did you read this?
Aguko claims they attempted to contact the Kenya Red Cross and the County Government but received no answer from the relevant helplines.
“I reached out to the Kenya police in Ruaraka, they contacted me in the morning after we got exhausted from calling,” Aguko says.
“All those rescue teams that we are advised to call in case of such an incident ignored our calls. People have started getting out of rooftops because the floods are subsiding. There are people who are trapped in the houses,” he added.
The situation in Nairobi has escalated to extreme levels. The County Government for all its efforts is clearly overwhelmed. We need all national emergency services mobilized to save lives. pic.twitter.com/NQb1dfbIwm
— Edwin Sifuna (@edwinsifuna) April 24, 2024
Residents reportedly indicate that electrical cables in the neighborhood are submerged in water.
At press time, personnel from the Kenya Red Cross and Nairobi County Response had arrived in Mathare to spearhead the rescue efforts.
According to Starahe Sub County Police Commander Fred Abuga, the rescue squad is already on the ground combing the region.