More than 24 hours after a car with two occupants slid from a ferry at the Likoni Channel and sunk into the Indian Ocean, the operation to retrieve their bodies is yet to begin.
On Monday, Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata said the operation was delayed over lack of equipment to pull out the car from the ocean.
Elungata indicated that the government was forced to source for diving equipment from a South African company to help embark on the operation on Tuesday.
He added that Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) managing-director Bakari Gowa should take responsibility for the Sunday 6 pm accident.
On Monday, KFS said the vehicle sunk 60 meters deep and its divers can only go 30 meters with the oxygen tanks available.
35-year-old Mariam Kigenda Taita and her four-year-old daughter Amanda Mutheu died after her vehicle slid off MV Harambee ferry and plunged into the sea.
The ill-fated car, a Toyota ISIS registration number KCB 289C, is said to have been the last to board MV Harambee. Likoni OCPD Benjamin Rotich said the vehicle might have lost its breaks and reversed into the ocean.
Mariam’s husband and other family members camped at the Likoni Channel on Monday as they waited in vain for the retrieval of the bodies of their kin. They faulted the government for doing little to find their loved ones.
Private divers allegedly refused to participate in the exercise citing non-payment for previous work.
Corruption at its best…
Corruption at its best.
UHURU needs to fire Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) managing-director Bakari Gowa…IMMEDIATELY.
Private divers who would have probably saved this lady and her child refused of non payments…But if anti graft agents looked through the financial records, they might see the payments….
Also, how comes KENYA NAVY never went to assist?
What happened to safety?
How many more deaths are we going to witness before action is taken?
It’s a shame that we are more focused on how big our bellies will get than what we are hired to do.
Private divers has done this kind of rescue before….now we will have to wait until some equipment comes from south Africa??
A sinking car, in deepwater,…
A sinking car, in deepwater, the divers had less than 2 minutes to respond.
So sad. May they rest in…
So sad. May they rest in peace
Things happen that leave you…
Things happen that leave you wondering. First and foremost pole sana to the family and friends of the late. Pili, this comes at a time whem the government wants to build a bridge and get rid of the ferry?
Who was taking the video?…
Who was taking the video? Was there nobody who could swim, amongst all the people in the ferries, who could try and rescue the people in the car?
Not to play devils advocate…
Not to play devils advocate but are the waters of the Indian Ocean not shark infested maybe that is why no one jumped in right away to help.How do we know if they will find the bodies now the sharks may have gotten to them by now