At least 23 die in Kenyan capital flash floods

At least 23 people were killed in flash flooding overnight in the capital Nairobi, police said Saturday, amid search and rescue operations and widespread devastation.

Torrential rains lashed the city late on Friday, turning major streets into rivers and flooding thousands of homes and businesses.

Rescue teams were still pulling out bodies and rescuing trapped residents on Saturday, while reporters saw heavily damaged roads and infrastructure from the city’s vast slums to upmarket areas like Parklands.

“We are seeing devastation … a huge number of areas in the city were affected, but also counties all over the country,” said Kenyan Red Cross spokesman Munir Ahmed.

George Seda, the police boss in Nairobi, warned that the death toll may rise.

He said some people drowned and some were electrocuted.