ANKARA

The death toll in Kenya from floods has surged to 194, a government official said.

Fred Matiang'i, cabinet secretary for the Interior Ministry, said on Wednesday that they have “raised the alert level in the East African country in relation to the flooding situation.”

The government has also given instructions to security teams in North Eastern, Eastern and coastal regions to begin evacuation of high-risk populations to safer grounds, Matiang'I added.

He also urged all Kenyans to adhere to directives from government as “we combat both the floods and COVID-19 pandemic.”

Heavy downpours, during the rainy season, which lasts from March to May, have wreaked havoc across the nation marked with flash floods, landslides and sinkholes that have left thousands displaced, livestock dead and crops destroyed.