Five family members perish in Taita Taveta landslide

Five family members died yesterday morning in a landslide following heavy rains in Mwatate area, Taita Taveta county.

Falling rocks hit their house at Kighombo village, killing the couple and their three children on the spot.

A downpour that intensified on the night of Wednesday, caused flooding and mudslides that swept houses.

Taita Taveta County Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha said heavy rains and loose soil in the mountainous area had slowed down recovery efforts. 

Some parts of Kighombo village remained inaccessible by road. 

“Though the rains are ending, they are ending badly with us. We have lost a family as a result of landslide.

Bodies of both parents and one child were retrieved first but later we managed to remove bodies of the other two children stuck under the rubble,” she said.

Onyancha termed the incident unfortunate and asked residents living in other areas prone to landslides and flooding to move to safer areas.

“We have asked people to take extra precaution and move to safer areas, if the rains continue then the situation might worsen and we could have more landslides and flooding,” Onyancha added.

Relatives said the house collapsed after heavy rocks from an adjacent hill hit as the family slept.

Rong’e Kati assistant chief Kepha Mwasamba said attempts to save the family were futile because the rocks were too heavy.

Families living near Voi River were asked to keep away from the area because there was likelihood of more floods due to heavy rains upstream. Police took the bodies of the deceased to the Moi County Referral Hospital mortuary in Voi. 

In December, hundreds of families were rendered homeless and property destroyed by floods after the river burst its banks.

The heavy rains have been pounding areas of Wundanyi, Mwatate and Voi sub-counties.