A man died after jumping from the Kathita Bridge, Jospeh Muungania, an eyewitness said.
“He clung onto a stone after jumping into the river, but when he saw people approaching to save him, he let go of the stone and drowned. The crowd stood there watching as the water dragged him downstream until he was no longer visible,” he said.
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According to eyewitnesses, emergency services, including police, were called to the bridge after receiving reports of an incident. The emergency services responded by dispatching a search and rescue team.
Residents saw the rescue team in the area before dropping low over the water. Sadly, the crew was unable to save the man as he was swept downstream by the current.
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The police are yet to confirm that the man died after jumping off the bridge and into the River Kathita.
The Kathita Bridge has become known as somewhere people take their own lives. Residents who spoke to BaiteTv called for protective barriers to be placed along the bridge to help prevent people jumping from it.
Kathita Bridge is located on a busy Meru-Nairobi highway near Gitimbine Center in Meru County.
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Only a few months after it was built, people began stealing its railing parts, causing it to fall into disrepair.
Earlier, people told BaiteTv that they were concerned that accidents will increase as the structure is gradually demolished by thieves. The Kathita bridge had steel railings on both sides when it was completed.
It was built for pedestrians walking between Gitimbine and Meru town. The pedestrians urged the Meru county government to decide the fate of the Kathita bridge.
