Seven Comoros nationals die in Indian Ocean
Charles Lwanga
Seven people from Comoros died and eight others were rescued in the Indian Ocean near Kenya on Monday after spending close to a month stranded in the high seas.
Among those who died is a pregnant woman, according to Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS).
In a report filed by KCGS Senior Sergeant Duncan Achiki, the 15 were relatives and had hired a boat to ferry them from one island to another in the Comoro Islands when their boat swept away by strong currents and its engine dropped into the sea.
The report, KCGS were alerted about the eight survivors by Watamu Beach Management Unit chairman Osman Mwambire.
Family members
“It was established that the boat was ferrying 15 family members from one island to another at Comoros Islands and it was swept by strong winds and the engine dropped into the sea and they were swept to the Kenyan waters.
In the process, seven passengers died and they were thrown into the sea hence eight male persons survived,” stated the KCGS report at Ngomeni.
The Comoros nationals had reportedly been stranded at sea for 22 days before fishermen in Watamu spotted their boat tied with a white piece of cloth and rescued them.
The fishermen then alerted the Kenya Navy, who rescued them and took them to Watamu dispensary for treatment before transferring them to Malindi sub-county hospital.
A local translator and a resident of Majengo in Malindi, Nassir Abubakar, said their boat developed mechanical problems and it was hit by strong waves and pushed to the deep sea.
Speaking at Malindi sub-county hospital, Abubakar, who interacted with the survivors after he was contacted by the Kenya Navy soldiers to help them to communicate with the survivors, said only one survivor could talk but with difficulties, after the rescue.
“After interviewing the survivor, he revealed that only eight of them survived after seven of their family members died at the sea,” he said adding “among those who died were two women, one of whom was expectant.”
Abubakar said those who died were being thrown at the sea and by the time of the rescue, only eight of them were alive.
“Among the items recovered from the survivors are bags and personal documents which revealed that they were not fishermen but sailors,” he said.
The translator said the survivors cooperated well with the security officers and even gave them contacts to call their relatives in Comoros and France to inform them of the incident.
Malindi Sub-County Hospital Medical Superintendent Job Guyo said he will brief the media later concerning their health progress although all of them suffered dehydration. The boat was towed to Watamu Beach Management Unit.
