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Emergency services have been rescuing passengers who were trapped in a bus that was swept away by floods on a busy highway in northern Kenya.<\/p>\n
The bus, with about 50 passengers, was heading to the capital, Nairobi, from northern Wajir county, police said.<\/p>\n
The driver had attempted to cross a flooded section of the road when it happened. The bus then became stuck in some mud surrounded by raging waters.<\/p>\n
Some of the passengers were rescued from the roof of the vehicle.<\/p>\n
The Kenya Red Cross said it was a “challenging rescue operation” to save the lives of who were “marooned by raging waters” in the Lager Areli area near Tulla village in Tana River county.<\/p>\n
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday following ongoing rains that have left the Garissa-Nairobi Highway heavily flooded.<\/p>\n
Videos shared on social media showed the bus, owned by Umma Express, becoming submerged in the flood water.<\/p>\n
Ali Ndiema, the regional police chief, told Kenya’s Nation news website that the driver had “risked the lives of more than 50 people”, adding that this was a punishable offence.<\/p>\n
The Kenya Red Cross said it had collaborated with members of the nearby community to reach the passengers.<\/p>\n
Two of its boats are continuing to rescue other commuters stranded as the road remains impassable.<\/p>\n
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