Several Feared Dead As Boat Carrying Large Number Of People Capsizes In Tana River

UPDATE: 14 people are feared dead after a boat that was reportedly ferrying 41 passengers capsized at the Kona Punda area in Garissa.

Several people are feared dead after a boat that was carrying a large number of people capsized at Kona Punda area in Garissa.

Videos seen by Viral Tea that surfaced on social media platforms showed panicked locals watching in horror as the boat was seen upside down on the flooded water.

Some individuals could be seen standing atop the boat perhaps to mobilize rescue efforts. Reports indicate that the boat is said to have been ferrying 41 passengers on Sunday evening, April 28 when the accident occurred.

A screengrab of rescue efforts for a boat that capsized in Tana River County on April 28, 2024. /SETH OLALE

The boat was ferrying people at a fee and headed to Mororo, a border town between the Garissa and Tana River counties.

Police are stated to have arrived at the scene and rescue efforts were ongoing by the time of publishing this article. However, the number of individuals who may have lost their lives was yet to be confirmed.

"A boat carrying a large number of people has capsized at Kona Punda while heading to Mororo. Our teams from Garissa and Tana River County are currently responding to the situation," stated the Kenya Red Cross.

22 people have so far been rescued while 23 people are currently missing.

The tragedy comes as boat owners took advantage of the flood situation to hike transport fees for stranded passengers travelling to and from Garissa.

On Friday last week, KeNHA closed the Mororo-Kona Punda section declaring the road potentially unsafe. The situation has since inconvenienced many passengers, motorists and commuters who can no longer use the busy road.

Hundreds of lorries transporting goods and other commodities as well as fuel tankers remained packed at the Madogo trading centre.

The boats, which are normally used for rescue missions in River Tana had been charging at least Ksh1,500 for the four-kilometre stretch between Madogo and Garissa which has been destroyed by floods.

Before the floods, matatus used to charge Ksh30 for the same distance while boats used to charge Ksh500 for the 4-kilometre stretch in December.

Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) from Nairobi to Garissa and Wajir had been dropping their passengers at Madogoand and then forced to board boats to Garissa to connect with other buses to Wajir.

Last Sunday, a boat with an unknown number of occupants capsized in Lake Baringo, with witnesses reporting that the boat experienced challenges that led to it capsizing.