At least two people were killed and five injured as strong winds from Tropical Cyclone Ialy hit various parts of the Kenyan coast on Tuesday, officials said.
Property of unknown value was destroyed in the chaos.
The victims included a four-year-old pupil.
The pupil aged four was killed after the strong winds hit Gogoraruhe Mosque ECD School at about 4 pm destroying the roof.
The incident happened in Mbalamweni sub-location in Kayafungo location, Kaloleni.
Police who responded to the scene said five pupils were rushed to Mariakani Sub County Hospital where one female pupil succumbed to her injuries.
Four other pupils were admitted with various head injuries, police said.
Coast police boss George Sedah said property was destroyed in the chaos that followed as the winds swept through the region.
“We have sent teams to check on villages and report back on the veracity of the tragedy,” he said.
The injured pupils were aged five, two while two are aged four years, Sedah said.
In Rabai’s Mwele area, Kilifi, the winds blew away the roof of a godown.
The chaos left two employees at the Salima Gases Kenya Limited, police said.
They were rushed to the hospital where one Elvis Wasi Changawa, 32 succumbed to his injuries.
This was after they were hit by falling stones. The other injured victim was referred to a hospital in Mombasa, officials said.
At the Kilifi North Sub County offices, the parking lot roof was blown off by strong winds and damaged two cars, police said.
In Mombasa, the roof of a structure at the Mbaraki Girls Comprehensive School was blown off by the winds.
No injuries were reported.
Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said on Tuesday the extreme winds blew off roofs of residential areas and toppled electric poles in some areas.
The charity said the winds caused destruction in Casuarina, Olimpia, Madunguni of Malindi County, and those located in Garashi of Kilifi County, leading to a major blackout.
The Kenya Meteorological Department warned of potential destruction to marine activities caused by Tropical Cyclone Ialy.
A tropical cyclone is generally deemed to have formed once mean surface winds in excess of 35 knots (65 km/h) are observed.
In a marine update issued Tuesday evening, director David Gikungu said the new development marks a historic event in the South–West Indian Ocean and the intense system is forecast to cause adverse weather conditions at the coast.
“The center of Ialy is currently 250km from Pemba Island and less than 300km from Mombasa. Peripheral bands of the system are beginning to affect parts of the East African coast,” he said.
The systems generally have a well-defined center which is surrounded by deep atmo”Moderate rain, storms and windy conditions are forecast in the western periphery of the system along the coastal areas of Kenya and neighbouring countries,” Gikungu added.
He said the tropical cyclone is positioned notably northwest 5°S/45°E, noting that tropical cyclones within 5°S/5°N are very rare.
The weatherman said strong southerly winds at 10-30 knots are expected over Kenya and Tanzania waters with waves of 1.5 to 3.6 meters expected along the Kenya coast resulting in moderate to rough sea conditions.
Gikungu said small boats and crafts are advised to avoid deep-sea areas throughout the forecast period.
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