This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On Sunday evening, a Toyota ISIS saloon car plunged into the Indian Ocean while aboard the MV Harambee ferry, sparking a major operation to retrieve its occupants.
According to family members, 35-year-old Mariam Kidenga and 4-year-old Amanda Mutheu were onboard the vehicle when the incident occurred.
The incident is the latest in a series of accidents involving ferries in the Likoni channel, including a canter that plunged into the ocean in July.
On that occasion, the driver, Salim Musa, claimed that the vehicle's brakes failed while attempting to climb the steep ramp at the channel, forcing him to steer the ferry to the ocean instead of reversing back into the ferry.
The vehicle was ferrying Ksh600,000 worth of cargo from Ukunda, Kwale County to Majengo, Mombasa County.
It took over 5 hours to tow the vehicle to land.
Kenya Ferry Management will issue an updated statement on the incident.
