Driver, loader in narrow escape as lorry falls into Indian Ocean
Two people escaped unhurt after jumping out of this after lorry that had just offloaded building materials at the Mokowe Jetty in Lamu on September 28, 2019 and then plunged into the Indian Ocean as the driver was reversing it. PHOTO | KALUME KAZUNGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- No one was injured in the 2pm incident as the occupants of the truck managed to jump out.
- Eyewitnesses told the Nation that they were surprised by the incident as the driver is not new to the place.
- This is not the first time a vehicle plunges into the ocean at the Mokowe Jetty.
There was panic at the Mokowe Jetty in Lamu on Saturday after a lorry that had just offloaded building materials plunged into the Indian Ocean.
The materials were meant for the construction of the jetty.
The driver was reversing and parking the vehicle on one of the lanes of the jetty when it slid and plunged into the ocean.
No one was injured in the 2pm incident as the occupants of the truck managed to jump out with only the rear part of the vehicle being submerged in the water.
NOT NEW
Eyewitnesses told the Nation that they were surprised by the incident as the driver is not new to the place.
“The driver is very much aware of the state of the Mokowe Jetty. He has been coming here on many occasions but we fail to understand what happened today. We just saw people jumping out of the lorry as it plunged into the ocean. It was a scary incident,” said Mr Mahazi Athman, a loader at Mokowe Jetty.
Lamu Deputy County Commissioner Louis Rono confirmed the incident, saying police had already been dispatched to the scene and were working together with local divers to retrieve the vehicle.
CAUTION URGED
Mr Rono urged drivers and motorcyclists who offload at the Mokowe Jetty to be cautious in order to avoid such incidents.
“It wasn’t a major issue. The driver was trying to reverse and park the vehicle. It’s like he missed some calculations as he tried to reverse and park the vehicle at the jetty. The lorry slipped off and fall into the Indian Ocean. No one was injured as only the back part of the lorry sunk into the ocean. Police have been sent to the scene and are working on ways to retrieve the vehicle from the ocean,” said Mr Rono.
NOT FIRST TIME
This is not the first time a vehicle plunges into the ocean at the Mokowe Jetty.
In October 2015, three people escaped death narrowly after a vehicle they were travelling in plunged into the Indian Ocean at the jetty.
They sustained serious injuries.
The Probox vehicle which was ferrying Miraa plunged into the ocean after the driver lost control as he tried to reverse it to a parking lot at the jetty.
The three were rescued by volunteer divers who were present at the time of the incident.
