Kenya has resumed cargo rail services to and from the port city of Mombasa following an interruption due to heavy rains and landslides along the coastal region, the state-owned operator announced Monday.
The Horn of Africa region has experienced intense rainfall and flash flooding linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon in recent weeks that has claimed dozens of lives, including at least 46 in Kenya.
Kenya Railways said on Saturday that a landslide along the freight rail line had forced the closure of a section of track, leading to delays in the evacuation of cargo from Mombasa and Nairobi as well as in the delivery of cargo to Mombasa’s port.
Heavy rains linked to the El Nino phenomenon, followed by flash floods, have submerged towns across East Africa, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless. In Kenya, the death toll from the floods stood at 52 as of Friday, and is expected to rise.
The loading and offloading of cargo have restarted, while the passenger service was also operating a normal service, the state-owned rail operator said in a statement posted on the social media platform X.