Four killed as heavy floods wash away car in Kitui
Locals on October 17, 2019 retrieving the body of one of the four people who died after their vehicle was washed away by flood water as it crossed a seasonal river near Matinyani market in Kitui County. PHOTO | KITAVI MUTUA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- All the four victims were cramped in the vehicle’s back seat.
- The two survivors were rushed to hospital for treatment.
- Mr Sawe said the driver seemed to have underrated the depth of the water
Four people have perished after the vehicle they were travelling was washed away as it crossed a flooded seasonal river in Kitui County.
The incident happened at Mutindi stream near Matinyani market on Wednesday night when the double cab pickup van with six occupants fell off a bridge, plunging into the raging waters.
All the four victims were cramped in the vehicle’s back seat.
By 9am Thursday, police assisted by villagers had removed three bodies from the mangled wreck of the van.
According to Matinyani OCPD John Sawe, the driver and the passenger on the front seat managed to escape by jumping out of the car and swimming to safety.
IDENTIFIED
“We have identified some of the victims who are two brothers and an engineer working for Prime Telecoms Limited, an IT firm which had been contracted to install Wi-Fi in the offices of county and deputy county commissioners in Kitui County,” said Mr Sawe.
The two brothers were being driven to their Matinyani home after the day’s work in Mwingi.
The OCPD said his officers were still trying to retrieve the fourth body which was trapped in the vehicle.
The two survivors were rushed to hospital for treatment.
Mr Sawe said the driver seemed to have underrated the depth of the water when he decided to cross the flooded river.
