11 people onboard a lorry that was swept away at River Kwa Muswii in Sultan Hamud, Makueni County have been rescued.
Rescue efforts by a multi-agency team including the county government and Kenya Red Cross are ongoing in the wake of unconfirmed reports that 10 people were feared dead in the tragic incident that happened Friday afternoon.
The survivors were rushed to Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital where they were treated and discharged.
According to the county government, five people are missing.
“Our emergency response team is reporting five people missing from among those involved in the Muatineni flood accident. 11 people have been rescued, treated at Sultan Hamud Sub-county Hospital and released in stable condition. A multi-agency team of emergency rescuers is doing everything humanly possible to find the missing persons” said the emergency response department on X.
Residents have been warned against crossing swollen rivers during this rainy season.
Since the onset of the current heavy rainfall, 70 people have lost their lives, 22 injured and eight people are missing.
The government disclosed that 131,179 others have been affected by the rains and that contingency plans have been developed to enhance the coordination of the emergency response.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Friday said the government has made several interventions such as a financial allocation of Sh4 billion for immediate response to the rain’s havoc.
Other interventions, he said, include resettlement of displaced families, restoration of bridges washed away by the raging waters, repair of critical infrastructure, activation of the National Disaster Response Centre and distribution of food, non-food and pharmaceutical items to the affected families.
