Nine people were injured on Sunday, October 6, 2024, after a passenger bus plunged into the Indian Ocean at the Likoni ferry crossing channel.
Kenya Red Cross, in a statement shared via their official X handle, revealed that the nine were rescued by their volunteers, who worked in collaboration with the National Police Service, Kenya Ferry, and Kenya Ports Authority.
Seven treated
Out of the nine that were rescued, the Kenya Red Cross says seven people were treated at the scene, while two were rushed to the hospital.
“Red Cross volunteers based at the Rescue Center at the Likoni Ferry, in collaboration with the National Police, Kenya Ferry, and Kenya Ports Authority, responded to an emergency involving a bus at the Likoni Channel earlier today. Nine people were injured: seven were treated at the scene, while two were taken to the hospital. The Kenya Red Cross also provided psychosocial support services,” the Kenya Red Cross stated.
Red Cross volunteers based at the Rescue Center at the Likoni Ferry, in collaboration with the National Police, Kenya Ferry and @Kenya_Ports Authority, responded to an emergency involving a bus at the Likoni Channel earlier today.
— Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) October 6, 2024
Nine people were injured: seven were treated at…
Multiple reports indicate that the bus that was travelling to Nairobi from Ukunda slipped into the ocean as it was making its way into the ferry.
Photos and videos doing the rounds on social media show the orange bus overturned and was half immersed in the ocean while on its side as rescue operations from divers and Good Samaritans were ongoing.
Ferry accidents
However, this is not the first incident to be witnessed at the Likoni ferry.
On Saturday, October 5, 2024, there was a brief scare at the Likoni Ferry crossing channel when a truck lost control and nearly plunged into the Indian Ocean, narrowly avoiding commuters.
The incident caused major traffic congestion and reignited concerns over safety at the busy ferry route, which has been the site of several accidents in the recent past.
In 2019, the Likoni Ferry crossing channel made headlines when Mariam Kighenda and her daughter Amanda Mutheu lost their lives when their car slipped from the ferry and plunged into the Indian Ocean.
