Landslide leaves at least 26 dead in western Kenya

At least 26 people have died and more than 25 others remain unaccounted for after a landslide in Kenya’s western Rift Valley region.

Heavy rains have battered the area for days with the Kenyan Red Cross saying that the most affected areas are still not accessible by road due to mudslides and flash flooding.

Twenty-five people with serious injuries were airlifted to a hospital in the nearby city of Eldoret for treatment, while others with minor injuries received care on site.

Rescue efforts continued through Saturday despite ongoing heavy rain, as disaster agencies searched through the debris of collapsed homes for missing people.

As search and rescue efforts continue on Sunday, local officials says they were working urgently to provide humanitarian assistance and support families impacted.

More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed by mudslide in the hilly area of Chesongoch in Elgeyo-Marakwet County.

Kenya’s interior minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, urged residents living near seasonal rivers, or in areas where the landslides occurred, to move to safer locations.

The country is in its second rainy season, also known as the "short rains" when it usually experiences a few weeks of wet weather compared to the heavier, more prolonged period earlier in the year.

Hundreds of people have been killed in recent years in landslides and flooding in Kenya. Scientists say climate change is causing more intense and frequent extreme weather events.