At least 228 people have been killed while thousands displaced following weeks of persistent rainfall that has resulted in devastating floods, ravaging several towns in the East African country of Kenya.

According to Kenyan police, the floods caused the bank of River Nyando in Western Kenya to burst in the early hours of Sunday which overran the police station, school, hospital and market in the town of Ahero in Kisumu County, VOA reported.

The police cannot confirm the number of casualties in the incident as water levels were still on the rise and the main bridge connecting Kisumu to Nairobi has been completely submerged under water.

There is no sign of the floods stopping anytime soon, the Kenyan government said, as the country continues to endure torrential downpours and the risk of further floods and landslides.

El Nino weather patterns and weeks of seasonal rains which have been heavier than expected instigated the floods wreaking havoc in many countries in East Africa, a region that is susceptible to climate changes.

VOA reported more than 400 people have been killed in the region as a result of floods while thousands have been sent packing from their homes as the floods upfront buildings across East Africa.

“It’s a serious situation and we should not take it lightly,” Kenyan government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said at a briefing on the crisis on Sunday.