- Mourners in Emurua Dikirr narrowly escaped tragedy after heavy rains submerged Mogondo River bridge on Friday, March 6
- A school bus was overpowered by raging currents, forcing passengers to climb out through windows with help from onlookers
- Thankfully, no fatalities or injuries were reported despite the chaos; they were coming from the funeral of decased Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno
A near-death incident occurred in Emurua Dikirr on Friday, March 6, where mourners had gathered to bid farewell to the late area MP Johana Ngeno.
Source: Twitter
Hundreds of mourners travelled from far and wide to attend the burial of the lawmaker, who died in a chopper crash on February 28.
How heavy rains risked lives of mourners in Emurua Dikirr
The arrivals inthe morning were peaceful as there was no rain, but departures turned disastrous after a heavy downpour that followed the burial.
The Mogondo River bridge became submerged, rendering the road impassable.
Despite the dangerous state of the road, drivers risked continuing their journeys, endangering the lives of passengers and other road users.
A school bus carrying mourners attempted to cross the bridge and initially seemed successful until the strong water currents overpowered it.
The driver was forced to stop, prompting passengers to escape through the windows with the help of onlookers.
No fatalities nor injuries were reported at the scene.
Emurua Dikirr was not the only host flash floods on Friday.
In Nairobi, residents and motorists were left stranded after a heavy downpour.
How floods devastated Nairobi
The rains started in the late afternoon, matching forecasts from the Kenya Meteorological Department, and poured relentlessly for hours.
Nairobi’s persistent drainage issues reappeared as the city’s system failed to handle the stormwater.
The Kenya Red Cross reported flooding in multiple areas, leading to widespread destruction and property loss.
Floods struck sections of CBD roads, Uhuru Highway, Mbagathi Way, Mombasa Road, Thika Superhighway, Jogoo Road, Lunga Lunga Road, Enterprise Road, and Lang’ata Road near T-Mall.
Other affected neighborhoods included Pipeline, Embakasi, Mukuru, Kibra, Mathare, Huruma, Baba Dogo, Bosnia, South B, South C, Nairobi West, Lang’ata, Umoja 3, Chokaa, Njiru, Ruai, Utawala, Roysambu, Kahawa West, Githurai, Loresho, and parts of Westlands.
In response, the Kenya Red Cross dispatched teams to conduct search-and-rescue operations.
Flooding on Uhuru Highway was especially severe between Westlands Roundabout and University Way.
Private cars and 33-seater matatus were submerged, forcing passengers to form human chains to cross safely. Lang’ata Road and Mbagathi Way were overwhelmed after the Mbagathi River overflowed, submerging two vehicles.
South C shopping centre, downtown Nairobi, and the road near Yaya Centre in Kilimani were also inundated.
The Moja Expressway Company announced free access to the elevated road after Mombasa Road became impassable due to flooding and prolonged traffic jams.
Even residents at home were affected as floodwaters seeped inside, causing extensive damage.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
