This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
On Sunday, a devastating incident occurred at the Likoni Channel in Kenya, where a car carrying a woman and her daughter plunged into the Indian Ocean, leaving them trapped 60m underwater.
The accident has raised serious concerns about the safety of the Likoni crossing, where ferries with rusty ramps and inadequate safety measures carry over 300,000 pedestrians and 6,000 vehicles daily.
According to the husband of the deceased woman, John Wambua, the operation to recover the bodies of his wife and child had not begun almost 20 hours after the incident was reported.
"My wife and daughter are still under the ocean," Wambua said, fighting to control his tears.
Kenya Ferry Services Managing Director Bakari Gowa explained that the vehicle had sunk 60m, making it difficult to retrieve without specialized equipment.
"We have carried out an assessment and established that the place where the vehicle sunk is 60m deep and requires specialised equipment to retrieve," Gowa said.
As the family and friends of the victims waited anxiously for the recovery operation to begin, they expressed their frustration at the delays.
"It is sad that we have been kept waiting hours after the tragedy," said Kigenda's close friend Shella Karembo.
