Three bodies were recovered from a flooded area in Kona Punda, along the Garissa-Madgo road, where a boat carrying 41 passengers capsized on Sunday night.
The incident occurred around 6.30pm and posed a significant challenge to rescue operations in Kenya Red Cross, Garissa and Tana River counties as darkness approached.
Despite the difficult conditions, 22 people were successfully rescued.
With the affected section of road connecting Madogo and Garissa closed, local residents have turned to boats as a means of transportation, albeit at considerable cost.
The regular fare for public transport is Ksh 30, but the boat fare was Ksh 1500, and overcrowding was a concern.
According to reports, the ill-fated ship was overloaded with at least 45 passengers on board at the time of the accident.
Madogo police have cordoned off the area and restricted access due to safety concerns.
The situation was exacerbated by heavy rains that caused the Tana River to overflow, leading to widespread flooding in the region.
Additionally, with the Garissa-Nairobi highway disrupted by the Madogo floods, boat transport businesses are emerging as an alternative means of travel.
The motorway linking Garissa and Nairobi was cut off by Madogo's severe floods, and boating business boomed.
