Nairobi, 1 May 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Far more than 300 people have been killed in flooding in Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda and the torrential rainfall affecting eastern Africa shows no sign of letting up.

In Kenya alone, 169 people have now died, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday. Earlier, the Cabinet in Nairobi convened for a special meeting to discuss measures to tackle the deadly flooding and related disasters.

During a visit to May Mahiu in the Rift Valley, where almost 50 people died on Monday after a dam burst and 26 are still missing, Kenyan President William Ruto said residents in areas at risk of flooding or landslides should move to safety within 48 hours.

Further heavy rainfall is forecast for the coming seven days in Kenya, according to the nation's weather service.

The unrelenting rainfall is leading not only to water levels rising in rivers but also to the expansion of the Great Lakes of East Africa.

Roads have been blocked and bridges have become impassable, interrupting the transport of goods between nations in the region, such as between Uganda and Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In Tanzania, coastal areas in particular are at risk, battered not only by rain but also facing powerful thunderstorms and high waves.

Meanwhile further inland, there have been repeated landslides in Arusha and Manyara, popular starting points for safari tours, in recent days.

MIA file photo