NAIROBI, May 6, 2024 (BSS/TASS) - The death toll from floods in Kenya has risen to 228 people, the country's Interior Ministry said.

Earlier, 179 deaths were reported. The floods also affected the Masai Mara Safari Park in western Kenya, where groups of tourists in hotels were cut off by the overflowing Telek River. Earlier in the day, a landslide killed 46 people near the village of Mai Mahiu in the central part of the country.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the situation is expected to worsen in lowland and coastal areas, and landslides and mudslides may also occur in areas with steep slopes and ravines. Months of flooding have destroyed homes, roads and bridges and displaced more than 210,000 people.

The rains have also affected other East African countries. In neighboring Tanzania, floods and landslides have killed 155 people. Casualties and significant damage have been reported in Uganda and Burundi. Forecasters blame the El Nino climate phenomenon for the heavy rains in the east of the continent.