Kenya: Dozens of people disappear after boat capsizes

The death toll from floods in Kenya continues to rise after a boat carrying dozens of people capsized in the Tana River on Sunday.

Search and rescue operations were suspended overnight and are expected to resume during the day.

Kenya's government spokesman on Friday refuted claims that hundreds of people had died in the ongoing floods and said the official death toll now stood at 70 people.

Kenya's vice president told a news conference on Friday that the government had set aside 4 billion Kenyan shillings ($29 million) for emergency relief operations, but has not provided 'other details.

A resident who survived the boat capsize on Sunday in Garissa County has accused government officials of negligence.

More than 130,000 people are affected, with thousands of homes having been washed away and others flooded. Some 64 public schools in the capital were flooded and had to close their doors. Roads and bridges were damaged or destroyed.

The East African country has seen weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, as well as the country's western and central regions.