Two dead as coral collapses on them in Mombasa
Members of the public mill around a police vehicle carrying the bodies of two men who died after debris fell on them while sleeping in makeshift home in Likoni on June 1, 2023.
Two men died on Thursday after the coral they were sleeping under in Likoni, Mombasa, County, collapsed on them.
One person was injured and was rushed to the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital (CGTRH) for medication.
The three were asleep in one of the caves along the Mama Ngina Waterfront when the accident happened at around 6am.
It is believed that the heavy rains that have been pounding Mombasa this week could have weakened the corals leading to the collapse.
Abdullahi Kombo, a brother of one of the deceased, said he had just arrived to wake his brother up when the accident happened.
“We have been living here since 2013 with my brother Abdullah Mwaboza. It is the first time we have experienced the caving-in of the caves,” he said.
The accident scene is a well-known drug den and is usually a no-go zone that poses a security risk to Likoni ferry users.
“We often come here to take shelter after being isolated from society. Most of us have been affected by drug abuse. The only help we can ask from the government is to take us out of this place. We are excluded by society,” Mr Kombo added.
Police moved the bodies to the local mortuary.
Thursday’s incident comes days after a three-year-old boy died of suffocation following a fire that razed down a residential flat in the Mwembe Tayari area.
According to Mombasa County Fire Officer Ibrahim Basafar, a report was made at 9.30am about the fire breakout.
"Unfortunately, we were unable to save the boy and the property despite arriving at the scene within 6 minutes. We were unable to access the area because of narrow streets," Mr Basafar told the Nation.
He thanked the members of the public, police and the Kenya Red Cross who helped in containing the fire.
