SIX TOURISTS DEAD IN KENYA’S HELL'S GATE TRAGEDY

Nairobi KENYA

Six people have died and several others are missing after a tour group was swept away by flash flooding in a national park in Kenya.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said that seven people -- five Kenyans, a local tourist guide and a "non-resident foreigner" -- had been caught in the flash flood Sunday in Hell's Gate National Park.

Hell's Gate National Park in Kenya near Lake Naivasha.

Search and rescue teams had initially recovered two bodies on Sunday but four more were found as efforts continued throughout the night, KWS said on its official Twitter page.

"Two more bodies were recovered overnight, bringing the total number of the dead from the tragic flash floods to four people," the service said Monday morning. Search operations are underway for the three people still missing.

"The gorge in Hell's Gate National Park has been closed to the public with immediate effect due to continuing rains," KWS said Sunday.

It added that a helicopter was being dispatched from the capital Nairobi, which is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of the park, to help with search efforts.

According to the survivor who raised the alarm, the tour group were local tourists who had gone for an excursion.

“We received reports of flooding in the gorges from a survivor, we managed to rescue him but six others are still missing," said an officer at the Hells Gate National Park, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the management. This was Sunday evening. 

The survivor said his wife was among the six that had been swept away by the floods.

Nakuru County Police Commander Stephen Matu said they have deployed officers to the park to join the search and rescue team. He had no details of the incident but promised to get back to us.

This is not the first time the park is experiencing floods. In April 2012, seven members of a Nairobi church youth group perished after they were swept away by flash floods.

The Hells Gate National Park lies to the south of Lake Naivasha and it is known for its scenic features. It is an important home for rare bearded vultures.

It is a popular hiking and cycling spot for tourists and locals and is known for its towering cliffs and gorges carved by a prehistoric lake.