NAIROBI: Flash floods killed four people and three are missing after their tour group was swept away at Kenya’s Hell’s Gate National Park, the state-run wildlife authority said on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday in the Rift Valley north west of the capital, Nairobi, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said on its Twitter account. “Search and rescue operation for three missing tourists underway in Hell’s Gate National Park. Two more bodies were recovered overnight, bringing the total number of the dead from the tragic flash floods to four people,” KWS tweeted on Monday.
The victims included five Kenyan tourists, a local guide and a non-resident whose nationality was not disclosed. KWS said the gorge in park was closed to the public on Sunday after the incident. The park is famous for its steam plumes from geothermal activity under its ground, and in areas adjacent to it, the steam is harnessed to generate electricity.
Gorges in the park are prone to flash floods and have in the past killed visitors. In 2012, floods killed seven who were part of a church group on a trek.
