At Least 20 People Dead, 10 Rescued as Bus Plunges into a River in Kitui

At least 20 people have been reported dead after the bus they were traveling in plunged into a river in Mwingi, Kitui County on Saturday.

The ill-fated bus rolled into River Enziu as the driver attempted to cross a flooded bridge following heavy rainfall in the area.

Confirming the incident, Mwingi East sub-county police commander Joseph Yakan said 10 people have been rescued alive and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Reports indicate that the bus belonging to St. Joseph Seminary-Mwingi was ferrying members of a Catholic church choir to a wedding in the Nuu area in Mwingi north.

It was not immediately clear how many occupants were aboard the bus whose sitting capacity is estimated at 50.

Yakan says search and rescue mission is ongoing even as authorities try to establish the exact number of people the bus was carrying when it set out on the journey.

A video shared on social media captured the moment the bus plunged into the swollen river with passengers screaming for help.