11 commuters injured in Likoni channel stampede as ferry stalls

Eleven people were seriously injured Monday in a stampede at the busy Likoni channel as hundreds of commuters scrambled to access the ferries.

The injured, among them three women, six pupils from Mbaraki Girls Primary School and a Form Four candidate, were taken to Coast General Hospital by Red Cross ambulances.

Mombasa County Kenya Red Cross Manager Soud Tengah said one of the injured women lost two toes on her right leg.

“The injured are receiving treatment at the hospital as plans are being made for the candidate to sit her exams,” said Mr Tengah.

This accident happened even as Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa and Deputy Governor Hazel Katana blamed the Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) management for the crisis.

Mr Marwa, who went to the channel to assess the situation, said the KFS management had failed to deliver services and called for the sacking of Managing Director Musa Hassan Musa.

“There has been a problem for the past one week and I want to confirm to you that the ferries are there but there is a big problem with the management. The MD must go,” Mr Marwa said.

TIME WASTAGE

The commotion started after the MV Kwale stalled on the ramp on the island side, resulting in long queues stretching more than one kilometre on the southern mainland and on the island side.

Only two ferries, the MV Likoni, whose prow has a problem, and the MV Nyayo, which had just undergone routine maintenance, were operational.

Some tourists coming from the south Coast missed their flights after they spent more than four hours in the snarl-up.

“I am from Diani and this is the second time I have been caught up in this crisis. I am worried that I might not manage to catch my flight at 10am,” said Mr Stefan Schmitt, a German tourist.

On Sunday, Governor Hassan Joho accused the government of frustrating plans to construct a bridge on the channel, which is used by more than 300,000 people and 5,000 vehicles daily.