Kenya Ferry Services has called off rescue operation for the occupants of a car that slid off MV Harambee ferry and plunged into the Indian Ocean.
In a statement issued on Sunday, hours after the ferry accident happened, KFS said the salvage operation has been called off because of darkness.
The accident occurred at about 6.15 pm when the car, a Toyota ISIS according to KFS, reversed and plunged into the Indian Ocean midstream.
In videos shared on social media platforms, passengers onboard the MV Harambee could be seen watching helplessly as the car sunk into the sea several metres from the ferry.
“The cause of the accident is still under investigations…Neither the car nor the occupants have been retrieved. The salvage operations has been called off because of darkness. The operations of the ferries has not affected by the incident,” said the statement from KFS management.
Kenya Red Cross Mombasa County Coordinator Mohamed Rajab Said confirmed to Milele FM that there were three occupants in the doomed car, two female adults and a child.
