4 die in Kitui after vehicle swept away by flooded river

By , K24 Digital
On Thu, 17 Oct, 2019 10:38 | < 1 min read
Mutindi River
An image shared on Facebook by Kaangia David reportedly showing the vehicle that was swept away by the flooded Mutindi River in Kitui on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, killing four people. PHOTO | KAANGINA DAVID | FACEBOOK
An image shared on Facebook by Kaangia David reportedly showing the vehicle that was swept away by the flooded Mutindi River in Kitui on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, killing four people. PHOTO | KAANGINA DAVID | FACEBOOK

Four people died on Wednesday when the vehicle they were traveling in was swept away by raging floods at Mutindi River in Matinyani, Kitui County.

Confirming the incident, Kitui County Police Commander Lydia Ligami said three bodies were retrieved while one is still trapped inside the vehicle.

Ligami said that police had a difficult time accessing the scene, saying the river was swollen.

According to the police, one survivor managed to swim to safety during the incident and was given first aid by a guard at Kyaani Secondary School.

“Multi-agency recovery efforts led by Kitui County Disaster Team are underway to retrieve the remaining body,” said Ligami.

On Wednesday, Kitui County Commissioner John Ondego had issued an early warning of possible flooding and displacement of people during with onset of the rain season.