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At least 20 reported missing after boat capsizes in Tana River

By Abdimalik Hajir | 28 Apr 2024

Twenty three people have been rescued so far, according to the Kenya Red Cross Society.

Scores of people are feared dead in Mororo, Tana River County, after a speed boat transporting passengers capsized in floodwaters on Sunday.

The Kenya Red Cross Society confirmed the incident via X, saying, "A boat carrying a large number of people has capsized at Kona Punda while heading to Mororo".

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A Red Cross official told The Eastleigh Voice that the boat had 43 people and that 23 were rescued in operations involving its teams from Garissa and Tana River counties. Twenty were yet to be accounted for.

Update: 23 people have been rescued and are currently receiving care at Madogo Hospital, while others are still missing. https://t.co/ezjDexqyP6 pic.twitter.com/H9oahRMnB9
— Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) April 28, 2024

A check earlier on Sunday found hundreds of stranded travellers, among them women and children, queuing to get to the speed boat.

It transported people from Madogo to Mororo, most of them having returned from Nairobi.

Heavy rains and floods have wreaked havoc in many parts of Kenya since the start of the March-May long rain season, with at least 76 people confirmed dead so far.

Floodwaters have submerged numerous settlements, displacing 24,196 families—approximately 131,450 people—and endangering others.

The government announced that it was collaborating with humanitarian partners, including the Red Cross, in providing aid, and that it had set up 50 camps across the country for displaced persons.

Through agencies such as the Kenya Meteorological Department and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), it has repeatedly asked citizens in flood-prone areas to move to safe locations.

The government has also advised motorists and pedestrians to avoid navigating floodwaters following heavy rains, as this puts lives at risk.