Flash floods have killed six people at Kenya’s Hell’s Gate National Park and left one person missing after their tour group was swept away, the state-run wildlife authority said on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday in the Rift Valley, some 69 km north west of the capital, Nairobi, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said on its Twitter account.
“Six bodies of the flash flood victims have been recovered, having one tourist missing. The search and rescue operation continues as we reach out to next of kin to share details of sad incident and plan together next course of action,” KWS tweeted on Monday.
KWS had earlier put the number of the dead at four.
Naivasha Sub-County Commissioner Mathioya Mbogo said the seven who were swept away were all Kenyans and six had visited the park from the western city of Kisumu.
“Those swept away were two minors, two women, two men and the local guide,” he said.
KWS had said earlier 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 gorges, cliffs and steam plumes from geothermal activity underground, and in areas adjacent to it, the steam is harnessed to generate electricity.
The park has also been used as a location for films like Tomb Raider II:Cradle of Life, according to the Kenya Film Commission.
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.
