Deadly rains and flooding in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya have killed at least 42 people, nearly double the previous toll, the government said in a statement late Sunday.

Heavy rains Friday unleashed heavy and widespread flooding, causing ​some people to drown, ​washing ⁠away vehicles and disrupting traffic at the country's largest airport.

The previous death toll was 23.

Emergency workers from various agencies, including the military, were still conducting search and rescue operations across the country, Geoffrey Kiringa Ruku, minister for public service and human capital development, said in the statement.

"Search mission ⁠is ⁠still in progress by the multi-agency emergency response teams with the aim of ensuring that bodies of all the flood victims are found and retrieved," he said.

The floods had also done extensive damage to infrastructure and livelihoods. But ⁠172 vehicles that had been swept away by floodwaters have been recovered.

On Saturday, President William Ruto ​said he had ordered relief food from the ​country's national strategic reserves be immediately released for distribution to families affected ⁠by the ‌floods.

Scientists ‌say global warming is worsening ⁠floods and droughts across East ‌Africa by concentrating rainfall into shorter, more intense ​bursts.

A 2024 ⁠World Weather Attribution study found climate ⁠change had made devastating rains in ⁠the region twice ​as likely as before.