Kerala CM condoles deaths of Keralites in Kenya bus accident

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 10 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday expressed deep sorrow over the death of Keralites in a road accident in Kenya.

In a statement, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said at least five Keralites are feared dead, though the Indian High Commission in Nairobi has yet to officially confirm the names of the victims. The tourists had arrived from Qatar.

A tourist bus carrying a group of 28 Indian nationals met with the accident at around 7.00 pm IST (4.30 pm Kenyan time) on June 9 in a region about 150 kilometres from Nairobi, the statement said.

The CMO said members of the Loka Kerala Sabha in Kenya and the Kerala Association of Kenya reached the accident site soon after the news broke.

NORKA Roots, the state-run agency for Non-Resident Keralites, is coordinating support efforts through its global contact centre, it said.

Indian nationals injured in the accident-- including Keralites -- are being shifted to major hospitals in Nairobi.

The CMO said that those still receiving treatment in the local hospitals would be moved by road or air ambulance.

The bodies of the deceased are also expected to be brought to Nairobi.

The Chief Minister conveyed condolences to the families of the victims and assured support.

Loka Kerala Sabha members have been working closely with the Indian High Commission and local authorities to help those affected, the CMO said.

For help and information, Keralites can contact the NORKA Global Contact Centre at 1800 425 3939 (toll-free in India) or +91 88020 12345 (missed call service for those abroad).

The Gulf Times newspaper reported that the bus the Indian tourists were travelling in got out of control and fell into a gorge in the northeastern county of Nyandarua.

Citing community sources, the paper said that at least five tourists from south India have been killed in the accident.

However, the identity of the dead is yet to be verified, while 27 are injured and admitted to various hospitals in Kenya, it added. PTI TGB TGB ADB