Police in Mombasa are looking for the couple whose wedding ceremony turned tragic on Saturday after six people, including five children, died when they fell into a septic tank.
Kisauni police boss Christopher Rotich said the couple, whose whereabouts remain unknown, will be interrogated. “Yesterday [Saturday] our focus was to save lives. We are looking at the matter [interrogation of the couple] today [Sunday],” he said.
On Saturday at 6.30pm, the ceremony in Mishomoroni turned tragic after a septic tank that was more than 30-foot deep, caved in with seven people. The wedding was stopped.
10 were on top of septic tank
The only survivor – Mwajuma Omar, 35, – is recuperating at Sayidd Fatma Hospital. More than 10 people were atop the septic, taking pictures of the couple.
Witnesses said some people managed to escape on time before the slab covering the septic tank caved in. The bodies have been identified and their relatives informed.
Those who died are Mwalimu Masoud (eight years), Habiba Mohamed ( 14 ) and Fatuma Guhet ( 20 ). The three were pronounced dead on arrival at Sayidd Fatma Hospital. Four-year-old Siti Ali was taken to Jocham Hospital, but later died.
Three-year-old Masoud Mwalimu and Munira Adam, a Standard Six pupil, were rushed to the Coast General Hospital, but were pronounced dead on arrival.
The rescue operation took four hours. All the victims were Muslim. They were supposed to be buried yesterday.
Residents, with the help of Kenya Red Cross Society officials, retrieved the bodies. County firefighters arrived after the victims had been rushed to hospital.
However, they did the final sweep to ensure nobody was still trapped inside the septic tank.
Police boss Rotich laid the blame on the landlord of the property where the event was held. “Almost all pits in Mishomoroni were not designed and built well. Such cases have been recurring,” he said on the phone yesterday.
Deputy director inspectorate department Charles Changawa said the county will dispatch structural engineers to determine the cause of the accident.
“Mishomoroni has been having this problem for a long time. When it rains, such incident are reported,” he said.
