Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr on Monday condoled with families who lost their loved ones in a drowning incident while attempting to cross Muatineni River aboard a truck on Friday.
The victims boarded a truck that was ferrying sand at the moment of the incident along Sultan Hamud-Kasikeu Road.
Mutula also visited Sultan Hamud Subcounty Hospital where he met the bereaved families.
"The accident was a tragedy that could have been avoided if the bridge had been constructed to standard and if people had been patient enough to allow the water level to subside," he said.
As of Monday morning, 14 people had been rescued, 10 bodies recovered while four people were still missing.
Search for the missing persons is still ongoing downstream led by a multi-agency team of emergency officers and the Kenya Red Cross.
"The county government has waived postmortem fees and will also support the families purchasing coffins to lessen the financial burden associated with the burial," the governor said.
"The county government will train more local volunteers on safety and rescue to avert any further loss of life in such eventualities."
