The government through the Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has appointed Transport permanent Secretary Esther Koimet to lead search operations at the Likoni channel.
Koimet is going to lead the rescue operations team in trying to retrieve the bodies of two occupants and the vehicle which plunged into the Indial Ocean on Sunday evening after slipping off the ferry.
According to the latest statement by the government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna, efforts to recover and retrieve the car are currently underway with ferry services being halted for a second day to allow smooth operations.
TRANSPORT CS James Macharia appoints PS Koimet to lead efforts to retrieve bodies and vehicle that plunged into Indian Ocean. pic.twitter.com/DE7CJvQWhL
— NationBreakingNews (@NationBreaking) October 2, 2019
Oguna revealed that the main target of the day is to locate the wreckage and ensure it is not swept away by strong currents deep down the sea.
While addressing the journalists on Wednesday morning, Oguna explained they were going to use a robot to confirm the exact location of the car after which they will embark on steps to get the vehicle out of the sea.
According to the Kenya Ports Authority captain who spoke to one of the journalists who had accompanied the operations team, the team through the aid of a robot had identified the area in which the wreckage is suspected to be lying.
He revealed that the team was, however, facing current challenges due to the high tides in the sea. He also cited low visibility inside the sea which he said had affected the operation.
He added that there were possibilities the vehicle had drifted due to strong currents in the sea but assured they were doing all they can to locate the wreckage.