Major scare as ferry rams docked ship

A ferry rammed a docked ship and narrowly missed colliding with another one, sparking panic among passengers on Likoni Channel on Thursday.

The 1.30pm incident occurred as Mv Kwale was returning to the island from the mainland south.

The ferry was about to land at the ramp when the coxswain lost control of the vessel and it started to drift back into the deep waters.

The vessel has a capacity of 1,550 passengers and 60 vehicles.

After ramming the Monrovian registered ship, Mv Sea Wind, the ferry hurtled down the channel where it nearly collided with a ship dredging the channel.

The incident left passengers deeply shaken.

There was a near stampede when it landed and several passengers were injured after hitting the railings as they disembarked from the vessel.

The impact left a dent on the ship, while the ferry’s railings and roofing were damaged and life rafts destroyed.

“The impact of that bang can send someone flying into the sea. That’s why I ran away from the prow control area,” said a Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) guard who declined to be named as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Business came to a standstill at the island matatu terminus and Mama Ngina Drive as residents followed the incident fearing that the worst could happen.

Coxswain trouble?

A KFS official advised passengers to follow regulations to avoid another mishap. A passenger blamed the mishap on inexperienced coxswains.

“Just some time back a coxswain sent one of these two ferries over the ramp before it was pulled back into sea,” he claimed.

KFS managing director Musa Hassan Musa said they had withdrawn the vessel pending investigations.

“We cannot say anything for now until thorough investigations are done to ascertain why the ferry hit the docked ship” he noted.

He said three other ferries would continue operations in the channel.

This comes in the wake of last week’s Zanzibar ferry tragedy in which more than 200 people drowned after the vessel sunk in the ocean.

The vessel was believed to be owned by Azam Marine and Coastal Fast Ferries and plied between the island of Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania.