Pickup loaded with flour plunges into Indian Ocean

MOMBASA, KENYA: A pick up loaded with bundles of maize flour plunged into the Indian Ocean waters after sliding off from a ferry at Likoni in Mombasa County Tuesday morning.

Occupants escaped unhurt after jumping off the vehicle

 

According to eyewitnesses, the rescue operation is expected to disrupt transport along the channel. “The Kenya Ferry Service is on the site trying to get the vehicle out of the water, this is likely to take some time and the transport will definitely have to be interfered with for a moment,” said a witness.

“The vehicle loaded with flour failed to climb uphill on the Likoni mainland ramp, while disembarking from the ferry at around 9:10 am this morning, It slipped into the Ocean adjacent to the ramp.The occupants escaped unhurt,”.

“Efforts are underway to salvage the vehicle as ferry operations continue as scheduled.”

Ferries at the Likoni channel handle more than 300000 passengers and 6000 vehicles daily while the Mtongwe services commissioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta more than two years ago handle about 15000 passengers.

The Government which runs KFS contracted Ozata shipyard to build Mv Jambo and Mv Safari at a cost of Sh2 billion.

In June, the Kenya Ferry Service said it had resolved hurdles that held up the delivery of a Sh1 billion ferry.

KFS management said the builder Ozata shipyard of Turk would deliver Mv Safari at the Likoni channel by mid-January next year.

This was after the shipbuilder accepted to be paid USD484,000 (about Sh49 million) following a dispute over delays occasioned by a court case between KFS and marine survey firm- Bonriz Insurance Marine Surveyors.