Section where car sunk at Likoni channel might be 60m deep — Kenya Ferry Services

The Kenya Ferry Services on Tuesday revealed that the two areas identified as the position of the wreckage of the Likoni Ferry tragedy are around 60m deep.

According to KFS, this has affected the speed and process of recovery but more teams have been called in to hasten the retrieval of the two bodies and the vehicle.

The rescue team is expected to continue with the exercise from 9am today although weather conditions and tidal movements will dictate the pace of the exercise.

“We have also engaged the Red-cross team within our operational areas to offer psycho-social support to the affected family members and a contact point at our Island offices for logistical purposes.

“We sincerely stand with the affected families, friends and ferry users as a whole during this trying moments,our prayers and sympathies are with the family to the conclusion of this unfortunate incident,” read a statement by KFS.

Earlier, Kenyans online had demanded timely updates on the rescue operations and blamed the accident on negligence.

The accident has raised questions about the safety of the Likoni crossing, where ferries with dangerously sagging and rusty ramps carry more than 300,000 pedestrians and 6,000 vehicles daily across the channel.

Other than the rusty ramps, MV Harambee does not have safety mechanism that would have prevented the car from sliding back into the ocean.

Residents also complained that ferry managers had relaxed on enforcing safety measures such as ensuring all commuters alighted from their cars once in the ferry.