A bus was swept away by floods with 51 passengers onboard on the Garissa-Mwingi Highway.
According to reports, the bus was headed to Nairobi from Garissa when it was swept by flood waters at Arer near Tulla village, Tana River County at 2.00 am on Tuesday, April 9.
Tana River County Commander Ali Ndiema told the media that the 51 people on board the Umma Express bus were travelling from Garissa to Nairobi at 11:30pm when the bus was swept away by floods.
Police reported that all the passengers trapped on the bus were safely evacuated from the bus with no injuries.
Ndiema said the driver of the bus crossed the flooded parts of the road despite warnings from his fellow drivers.
“He took the risk and risked the lives of more than 50 people, which is an offence punishable by law,” Ndiema said.
The County Commander warned drivers using the Garissa-Nairobi route to avoid driving on flooded sections of the road.
“These are sections that were broken during the El Niño and should be avoided at all costs when they are flooded so that we do not lose lives on this road,” he said.
However, Kenya Redcross assured that all passengers aboard the bus were rescued with priority initially given to women, children, and those who were sick.
KeNHA Closes Major Highway Leading to Nairobi
On Tuesday, April 9, in the morning, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) announced the closure of the Nairobi-Garissa (A3) Road.
In the statement, KeNHA informed the public that the closure is a result of flooding at Arer Area, between Bangaley and Madogo.
KeNHA said the heavy rains on Monday night resulted in raised water levels along the entire stretch leading to flooding of the areas.
“The flooding at Arer has compromised the road and diversion that was previously in use. This poses a high safety risk to the road users. This road, therefore, shall remain closed until the flood waters subside and the damaged section is reinstated,” KeNHA said.
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Road users have been urged to be cautious and avoid driving in the floodwater for their safety.
Meanwhile, the Authority staff are on site ready to deal with the washout immediately after the water subsides.
In an earlier update on Monday night, KeNHA had announced the closure of the same road due to flooding.
“The increased water has prompted an advisory that the Seven Folks Dams are rapidly filling to near full capacity. The flooding at Mororo has compromised one lane of the road. This poses high safety risk to the road users,” KeNHA said.
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NTSA Floods Warning
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) had also issued an advisory to motorists amid the ongoing heavy rains.
NTSA said the heavy rains experienced in most parts of the country create potentially dangerous conditions for road users.
“With increased rainfall, the Authority cautions road users that after the recent dry weather there is accumulation of dirt, soil, and oil deposits,” noted NTSA.
“We advise motorists to reduce their speed, since these deposits lead to formation of slippery surfaces making stopping more difficult thus raising the possibility of losing control.”
NTSA urged motorists to desist from driving through flash floods, flooded roads, and flood riverbeds.
