Two people died after suffocating in an underground water tank they were cleaning.
Andrew Ouko and George Omondi, from Ngata Bridge, are said to have died from harmful fumes released by a generator they were using after it ran out of fuel.
Two other people were admitted to the Nakuru Provincial General Hospital. The victims were using the generator, which they had carried into the tank, to power a water pump that was draining the tank before washing it.
A resident, Bernard Owino, said he found the four trapped in the tank and were struggling to get out. "I raised the alarm and neighbours responded and we pulled the four out of the tank.
"I had seen them cleaning the tank on my way to a nearby shop. However, I realised nothing was happening and I did not see any of them when I returned. I got curious and went near to check why the cleaning had stopped. That is when I saw them fighting to get out. We have been told they died from reduced oxygen in the tank," said Owino.
SAVE TWO
One of the victims, Ouko, owned the plot where the tank was located. He died when he went into the tank to save two of his colleagues. This was after they called for help after running out of oxygen. Geoffrey Kenyatta survived and was taken to hospital.
County police boss Joshua Omukata said the victims died from the harmful gases emitted and the resultant competition for oxygen between them and the generator.
"This weakened them so much that they had no strength to pull themselves out. Efforts to resuscitate them later were futile as the area does not have experts. It was a matter trial and error for those who attempted to help them," said Omukata.
The county government has been asked to ensure there are trained personnel to attend to such cases whenever they occur. Bodies of those who died were taken to the Nakuru Provincial General Hospital mortuary.
