A stampede that erupted at the Likoni Ferry Channel on Tuesday, July 21 resulted in over 13 people injured in the melee.
According to eyewitnesses, one of the ferries, MV Safari stalled after being involved in a collision with another ferry along the channel.
Since it was out of commission, this led to congestion at the waiting bay as people waited to cross.
As another ferry MV Jambo arrived to facilitate the movement of the residents, the locals rushed disregarding social distancing rules in place.
Due to their multitude, entries manning the gates at the waiting bay were overwhelmed.
The commotion led to injuries as some people were trampled by the scores of people at the channel.
The injured were rushed to hospital as Red Cross officials gave first aid at the scene.
The incident came after Kenya Ferry issued a statement stating that three ferries were operational.
"We are expecting the fourth ferry any time from now. Let's observe the social distance, washing of hands, and putting on face masks as we enhance the fight against," the organisation stated.
Citizen Digital was first to report that MV Safari, which is the newest vessel at the channel, developed a mechanical problem where it had a hole that caused water to flood into its engine room, according to Kenya Ferry Managing Director Bakari Goa.
In March 2020, chaos erupted at the Likoni Ferry as police officers were instituting President Uhuru Kenyatta's directive aimed at curbing the spread of the Coronavirus. Several people were injured during the stampede in which a number of residents hurled stones at Police officers.
More than 300,000 people get ferried at Likoni by four vessels every day.
Watch the video of the stampede below:
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