Rescue operations were launched on Tuesday, January 6, after two teenage girls fell into a waterhole in Loima, Turkana County, approximately 15 kilometers from the nearest village while fetching water amid the ongoing severe drought.
According to a statement by the Kenya Red Cross, the Turkana Search and Rescue team successfully recovered one victim, with efforts continuing to locate the second girl.
The incident highlights the conditions residents face as they travel increasingly longer distances in search of water.
The two girls, aged 16 and 18, had trekked the significant distance to access water from the hole when the tragic accident occurred.
Such waterholes, hastily dug in dry riverbeds and sandy terrain as conventional water sources dry up, have become a lifeline for communities but pose serious safety risks due to their unstable structures and depth.
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“Kenya Red Cross Turkana Search & Rescue team recovered one victim; efforts to locate the second continue,” the statement read.
The Red Cross team has vowed to continue supporting and helping Kenyans where needed.
“Six days into the new year, the Kenya Red Cross has already responded to multiple emergencies across the country: -Collapsed building in South C, Nairobi -10 road traffic incidents -4 fire incidents -4 drowning incidents (search and retrieval ongoing in Nakuru, Kisumu, Nyandarua and Turkana) All this while aiding communities hit by the drought, affecting nearly 2 million people.”
This is not the first water-related tragedy to strike Kenya in recent weeks.
Just days earlier, on December 28, five people lost their lives when a fishing boat overturned on Lake Victoria near Siaya County.
That incident, which occurred when strong winds struck the vessel carrying fishermen, left several others missing and underscored the various water-related dangers communities face across different parts of the country.
