A man was crashed to death by an excavator, that he was operating, in a tragic accident in Karera village, Gatundu South.
The man was working on the Kariminu II dam water piping project when the accident occured.
Eye witnesses recounted that the man was digging a trench on a slopy section when the excavator overturned and rolled towards Kahungu River. He was crashed and efforts to rescue him were futile.
Locals led by David Muchai questioned why the contractor was allowing works to continue amid the heavy rains pounding the area noting that besides the area being slopy it is slippery posing dangers to the workers.
Muchai, who farms near the project site, said that the operator was a humble man. “He was out working hard to sustain his family only to be killed while at work. The place he was digging has a steep decent and the soil was slippery due to the rains. He was risking his life,” he said.
The locals called on the government through the relevant agencies, especially Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA)-the project’s implementing agency, to intervene and stop any construction works until the rains subside.
“There’s no haste to complete this project and therefore the contractor should be ordered to halt the works until the weather is favorable for resumption of work,” resident Rebbeca Njeri said.
Authorities contacted for confirmation of the incident claimed to be unaware of the tragedy.