SO PAINFUL: MORE DETAILS ON THE DEATH OF 24 PEOPLE IN KITUI

24 people have been confirmed dead while 12 were rescued after a bus capsized in river Enziu, Mwingi County on Saturday, 04 December 2021.

Among the 12 who survived the tragedy are four children and eight adults.

Sadly, fifteen of the dead are members of the same family who were going to attend a wedding of an elderly couple aged over 70 yrs when tragedy struck.

The wedding which was to take place at Nuu-Mwingi was cancelled following the tragedy that has left scores dead.

As condolences streamed in, Kitui governor Charity Ngilu condoled with the bereaved families and said recovery efforts would resume on Sunday morning.

“I want to send my heartfelt condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this incident and pray that God will give them strength and fortitude to bear the pain of loss,” Ngilu said.

The death toll from the tragedy is expected to rise as some bodies were still trapped inside the bus when recovery efforts were suspended by nightfall.

“For now as it is getting late, we would be asking people to go back to their homes and that we start this operation tomorrow,” Ngilu said at the scene of the accident on Saturday.

“Meanwhile, I’m going to put a lot more pressure on the national government to complete this bridge because this bridge has truly caused a lot of pain,” added the governor.

The county boss added that the retrieved bodies had been airlifted by Kenya Air force to Mwingi and Kyuso Mortuaries.

Mwingi East sub county police commander Joseph Yakan confirmed the incident adding that the members of the Mwingi Catholic Church were headed for a wedding when the incident happened.

“A bus drowned here and we are still recovering bodies that

are still inside the bus. The bus is not even visible, it has been submerged.

“Unfortunately the bus was carried by water from the Enziu River along Nguni-Nuu road,” he said.

Videos documenting the incident showed the bus being swept away as it crossed the swollen river and as the residents watched helplessly.

Source: Kenyaleo

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