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Uproar as Kenya Ferry Services swiftly ‘moves on’ from sunken car tragedy


Kenya Ferry Services has incurred the wrath of Kenyans online for the indifferent manner they seem to be handling a tragic incident of a sunken vehicle which plunged into the sea from one of their vessels on Sunday evening at the busy Likoni channel.

The vehicle slid off MV Harembee ferry and sunk into the Indian Ocean, with unconfirmed reports indicating that the ill-fated car had two occupants.

Kenya Ferry Services confirmed that the incident happened at 6:15pm on its social media pages and a rescue operation launched immediately.

The operation was however called off about an hour later due to darkness, Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) said.

But then on Monday morning, without a single update on the accident, the company took to social media to advertise its services.

“Good morning, we are serving you with four ferries at the Likoni channel and one at the Mtongwe channel. We wish you a blessed and fruitful day,” the company tweeted.

This is what has angered a section of Kenyans on social media, who have accused the company of being insensitive.

“At what point did any of you guys think this was an appropriate time to post this? “Serving you” and people drowned with no emergency rescue team (or a functional one ) anywhere to be seen, ” @Lil_mo92 tweeted.

“What measures are you putting in place to avoid a repeat of a car driving off midstream? What we note is ferries plying on with their ramps lowered instead of raised! Isn’t this negligence?” posed @Twahir_H_Kassim

ONLINE FURY

“Take your good mornings and have it for breakfast, when will you make your services safe enough for Kenyans? Why aren’t their emergency services like life guards on those death traps? Did those people drowning off one your ferries satisfy you?” commented @TheOnlyJKM

“Do these people have a sense of empathy? Don’t you feel ashamed for posting such nonsense? What message do you have to the family who lost loved ones yesterday and what safety measures have you puy in place today to ensure safeguard the lives of these poor commuters?” @Am_Justus wrote.

“And just like that, the tragedy yesterday was just another day in the office for a bunch of incompetent, inconsiderate ferry service handlers. It hurts to the bone how you can be so cold. I blame corruption for your state of affairs. You need to disbanded forthwith…” @jjogola tweeted.

“This is lame for you its business as usual even after lives were lost in your hands… Right now you should be giving awareness on SAFETY MEASURES not these barbaric messages of serving us with four death traps” said @reubenmuriithi3.

“Nothing abt the lives lost or the accident and you are here with “good morning”, SHAME ON YOU,” @aldyhasty tweeted.

“Even after yesterday’s tragedy?? No grieving for you? You’re redefining arrogance and PR nightmare,” commented @_nkurunzizah

In July this year, a driver and his turn-boy escaped unhurt as their canter plunged into the Indian Ocean during disembarking.