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A local chief said they were sitting on a log in the middle of the river as they tried to cross when the floodwaters rose and took them away.
The boat is said to have been referring 41 passengers on Sunday evening when it encountered raging waters and capsized.
Reportedly, the boat was headed to Mororo, a border town between the Garissa and Tana River counties.
Police are stated to have arrived at the scene and rescue efforts were ongoing by the time of publishing this article.
However, the number of individuals who may have lost their lives was yet to be confirmed by the time of going to press.
The Kenya Red Cross have also confirmed dispatching a team to the scene from their Tana River and Garissa County offices.
“A boat carrying a large number of people has capsized at Kona Punda while heading to Mororo. Our teams from Garissa and Tana River County are currently responding to the situation,” stated the Red Cross.
Reportedly, the boat alongside three others had been ferrying people across the swelling Tana River for the past three days.
It is stated that the proprietors of the venture had been charging the residents a hefty sum to ferry them across.
The incident comes barely a week after a boat capsized in Lake Baringo while ferrying church members resulting in deaths of six people.
Notably, some locals form the area had reported that the boat experienced some challenges which led to it capsizing.
Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident saying the boat was travelling to Mororo with a large number of people on board. The Kenya Red Cross rescue team is already at the scene responding to the situation.
Source:Kenyans.co.ke