Two people have gone missing at sea after a dhow they were using to transport building materials capsized at Mlango wa Pate channel in the Indian Ocean on Sunday.
Two other people were rescued by divers shortly after the accident happened at about 10 am in Lamu East.
The dhow is suspected to have capsized due to overloading.
The Kenya Marine Police, Kenya Maritime Authority and local divers immediately launched a search and rescue effort.
The two survivors are admitted at the Lamu King Fahad Hospital in Lamu town. Doctors said they recuperating.
Lamu county commissioner Joseph Kanyiri said the dhow left the Mokowe terminal jetty with the materials and was headed for Pate island.
The materials were for the ongoing construction of the Pate sea wall in Lamu East, Kanyiri said.
“We're still searching for the two. We suspect the dhow could have been overloaded,” Kanyiri said.
“The dhow was carrying over 200 building blocks and other materials. Normally, the tides are calmer in the morning and the fact that the accident happened at 10 am means the tides weren’t to blame but other factors and in this case, too much cargo,” Yusuf Mohamed said. He witnessed the boat take off from Mokowe.
The Mlango wa Pate channel is among those listed as extremely fatal and are characterised by extremely powerful tides.
In extreme situations, travellers have to wait for the tides to calm before passing through or even postpone their journeys.
On August 13, 2017, ODM politician Shekue Kahale lost 12 members of his family, including four children and the wife, when a boat capsized due to strong tides at the Mkanda channel.
Only Shekue survived after several hours of swimming to safety.
In June last year, a fisherman perished after a boat capsized at the Manda Maweni area. Three fishermen who were reported missing last year after their boat capsized in Ndau village in Lamu East have never been found.
On June 20, 2017, 10 people perished after their boat capsized at the Mkanda channel. The boat had left Lamu town for Ndau village in Lamu East.
Edited by Peter Obuya
