Bodies of tomato traders who drowned in Masinga Dam retrieved

The bodies of three tomato traders who drowned as they were crossing Masinga Dam on Thursday have all been retrieved.

The three deceased traders and nine others returning home from Machakos where they had gone to buy tomatoes for sale when the tragedy struck.

The nine survivors among them two women were rescued shorty after the incident.

According to Riakanau Location Chief Kimeu Musyimi, the bodies were retrieved following a three-day search by police, divers and local residents.

Two of the deceased hailed from Thika while the third one is from Kirinyaga and was identified as Alex Njogu aged 23 years.

According to Alex Njogu’s uncle Julius Mwangi, the traders had bought 10 crates of moving tomatoes from Machakos and as they were crossing over to Riakanau in Mbeere South, Embu County, the canoe they were in capsized.

The bodies of the deceased were moved to the Embu Level Five Hospital mortuary.