Rescue operations in top gear to salvage the sunk vehicle at Likoni channel
Ferry commuters aboard one of the vessels plying the busy Likoni crossing channel Image: Courtesy
BY THE COAST TEAM
Ferry operations have been rescheduled temporarily to allow the retrieval of the vehicle and its occupants that plunged into the sea aboard mv Harambee on Sunday evening.
Mr Bakari Gowa, speaking to the media on Tuesday (October 1), this will give the different agencies involved to have a wider space of the Likoni 500 metres crossing channel.
“Ferries will be taking a longer route than usual to allow rescue teams salvaging the sunk vehicle ample space to operate without being deterred by our vessels,” says the Kenya Ferry Services managing director.
SUNDAY
The Sunday incident has sparked uproar among Kenyans due to the sluggish manner the KFS handled the whole issue from the time of slithering and eventual sinking into the deep sea.
The victims were identified as 35-year-old Mariam Kigenda and her four-year-old daughter Mutheu who are believed to be over 60 metres underneath.
Circumstances that led to the plunging are scanty with different eyewitnesses giving different accounts of what happened on the fateful day. The vehicle, according to Mr Gowa, is believed to be over 170 metres deep.
“We hereby want to notify ferry users that due to the ongoing exercise of retrieving the sunken vehicle we are likely to experience between 20 and thirty minutes delays,” he adds.
RESCUE TEAMS
Among the rescue teams are Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenya Navy, Kenya Maritime Authority and Kenya Ports Authority.
The accident has raised questions on the safety of ferry users and preparedness in case of emergencies or accidents both aboard or offboard the ferries plying the channel.
Since Monday morning family members, friends and well-wishers have been camping at the island and mainland ramps to see their loves one rescued from the sea
