Dozens of Kenyans are feared dead following an accident in which two overcrowded buses plunged into a fast-flowing river infested with crocodiles and hippos on Sunday night.
The buses collided with each other and veered off a bridge after one swerved to avoid a vehicle holding foreign tourists, who were reportedly taking photographs.
At least 13 bodies have been recovered but many more are thought to be trapped in the two buses, which local authorities have failed to pull from the swollen Sabaki river, 60 miles north of the coastal town of Mombasa. Local papers estimated the final death toll may reach 100.
Early rescue attempts were hampered by strong currents as volunteers worked by the headlights of a truck in the moonless night. There was also a danger from hippos, which feed at night, but the river was thought to be flowing too quickly for a crocodile attack.
Twenty-two passengers survived but by yesterday evening rescuers had given up hope of finding any more.
Only the tip of one bus was visible from the bridge as attempts to lift them from the flooding waters failed. "Lack of equipment has made the operation very, very difficult," the local police chief said.
The conductor of one of the buses was among the survivors. He told reporters the buses had been racing to the tourist town of Malindi in an effort to win extra passengers when the accident occurred.
The first bus was forced to swerve at the bridge by a poorly parked Land Rover, apparently occupied by tourists who had alighted to take photographs. The second bus collided with the first, sending both careering over the side.
One newspaper report described the tourists as Italians but police were unable to confirm their nationality as the vehicle fled the scene immediately.
Large car accidents are frequent in Kenya, usually caused by overcrowded passenger buses, known as matatus, that speed along the poorly surfaced roads. In March of last year 101 people were killed when two matatus collided.