SOLAI, Kenya (Reuters) - A dam burst on a flower farm in Kenyas Rift Valley after weeks of torrential rain, unleashing a sea of water that smashed into two villages and killed at least 32 people, officials and survivors said.

The walls of the Patel dam, situated on a large commercial farm on top of a hill in Nakuru county, 190 km (120 miles) northwest of Nairobi, gave way late on Wednesday as nearby residents were sitting down to evening meals.

The floodwaters swept away powerlines, homes and buildings, including a primary school, a Reuters photographer on the scene said, as rescue workers picked through rubble and mud searching for survivors.