A 45-year-old man died after a landslide buried his house in Mathioya Sub-county, Murang’a County, following heavy overnight ground movement.
According to police, the incident occurred at Kathungu village in Ngutu Sub-location within Gitugi Ward on Thursday.
Police officers visited the scene and established that the landslide struck at around 11pm on Wednesday night.
Authorities said two mabati houses were affected by the mudslide.
The deceased’s two-bedroom house was completely submerged in mud, while another house occupied by his parents was partially damaged. His parents escaped unhurt.
Villagers joined efforts to retrieve Gichuki’s body from the debris and mud before police arrived at the scene.
The body was later moved to Kiriaini Mission Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem examination as investigations continue into the incident.
Elsewhere, police in Kabete Sub-county, Kiambu County, are investigating a suspected drowning incident after a decomposed body was discovered floating in a dam at Kirangari area.
According to police, the incident was reported on Thursday.
An elder told police that at around 11:50am, while fetching grass for his animals, he spotted a lifeless body floating in an open dam nearby and immediately alerted authorities.
Police visited the scene and retrieved the badly decomposed body of an unidentified middle-aged man from the water body.
Police processed the scene before moving the body to the City Mortuary awaiting identification and postmortem examination.
Landslide refers to the sudden movement of rock, soil, or debris down a slope. This is often caused by heavy rain, earthquakes, or human activity.
Landslides can be highly destructive, particularly in populated or mountainous areas. They mostly result in loss of life and injuries, destruction of homes, roads, and other infrastructure, and can block rivers, leading to flooding.
They may also force communities to relocate and cause significant economic losses due to damage to property and disruption of transport and other essential services.
Featured image: AI landslide image
