According to a survivor, William Rokai, they were woken up by loud and vibrating sound before his house was flooded in minutes.
Rokai and his two brothers managed to rescue his two children from the roof before escaping to higher grounds.
He said that the incident caught them by surprise as they were asleep, adding that he only managed to rescue his family. He lost everything as his house was swept downstream.
"In minutes our house was flooded and through the grace of God we managed to escape through the roof and we are still in shock," said the casual labourer.
This was echoed by a quarry worker, John Kinuthia, who only salvaged his identity card after all his personal effects were washed away.
A shaken Kinuthia narrated how he was woken by screams and as he moved out to check what was going on, he met the raging waters.
"The water pushed me and I managed to hang from one of the trees before swimming to safety and rescuing a woman who was trapped in a nearby house," she said.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika while condoling with the affected families said that the county had mobilised all its resources to deal with the disaster.
She said they were working closely with their counterparts from Kiambu where the dam was situated in assisting those affected.
"We have mobilised all the necessary personnel and equipment in addressing this disaster which is worse than the Solai dam incident where 48 people lost their lives," she said.
Nakuru Lands Executive John Kihagi appealed to striking doctors to resume duty as this was a national disaster that had affected directly and indirectly tens of families.
"We are working with NYS and KeNHA officers in addressing this major tragedy even as we call on those living near rivers to relocate to higher grounds," he said.
The CO for Public Health Joyce Ncece noted that rescue operations during the incident were hampered by darkness due a power blackout in the region.
"We are working with private hospitals and well-wishers and we are calling for humanitarian support from the national government," she said.