8 bodies have been retrieved from Muswii River after a truck plunged into the flooded river.
Confirming the incident, Makueni Deputy Governor Lucy Mulili noted that about ten people are still missing with the search ongoing.
Mulili noted that search efforts are being conducted by the Makueni County Department of Disaster Management and Kenya Red Cross. She urged communities living along the river to report should they spot any body floating in the river.
Seven people were rescued alive and rushed to hospital.
According to eyewitnesses, the deceased were part of a group that jumped onto the truck that was ferrying building materials, hoping to cross the swollen river.
During the ill-fated mission, the truck was driven across what appeared to be a shallow stretch overflowing with flood waters.
Several people who had been stranded on one end of the river owing to the flooding jumped onto the truck.
Things went south really fast with the truck appearing to slide into the deep end and overturning, rendering its occupants helpless.
Several are carried away by the raging flood waters as a crowd can be seen watching helplessly with others running along the river in an attempt to rescue those being swept away by the water.
Kenya Met issues advisory as heavy rains and floods wreak havoc
The heavy rains reported across the country have left a trail of destruction in its wake with many lives lost and property swept away.
According to Kenya Met, heavy rainfall of more than 40mm in 24 hours is expected to impact areas surrounding the Lake Victoria Basin, the Rift Valley, Highlands West and East of the Rift Valley, including Nairobi.
The Kenya Meteorological Department has issued a heavy rainfall advisory for several parts of the country, including Nairobi, highlighting the risk of more intense flooding from the 25th to the 28th of April, 2024.
