At least 21 people have died and hundreds of people have been forced from their homes after a dam burst its banks in Kenya's rift valley, officials confirmed.

Police spokesman Joseph Kioko said water burst through the banks of the Patel Dam in Solai, Nakuru County, sweeping away hundreds of homes in the neighborhood, including those on the expansive Nyakinyua Farm, which borders the water reservoir, AP reported. The incident raises the already high death toll in Kenya from floods due to seasonal rain.

In a statement, Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui assured residents that “we will do our best to take affected families to safety and help them get medical attention.”