Three children have died during a series of landslides in Kericho County in northwest Kenya, on Monday 20 April 2020. Two of the children died in the village of Nyagasakia, when the house in which they and their mother were sleeping was demolished by a landslip. The third child was killed in a separate landslide in the village of Kunyak. Further properties have been damaged and destroyed in the villages of Kiptenden, Kabirong, Kapkese and Ng’ebebo, as well as a number of livestock lost. Several other people are still missing following the incidents.
Damage caused by a landslide in Kericho County in northwest Kenya, on Monday 20 April 2020. Citizen Digital.
The incident happened after several days of heavy rain in the area. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess
pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments,
allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides
are caused by heavy rainfall. Kericho County has an average altitude of 1938 m above sealevel, giving it a warm temperate climate despite its closeness to the equator. The climate is wet for much of the year, but there is a distinct rainy season in April and May, with around 250 mm of rain typically falling in April.
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