A 42-year-old pregnant woman drowned in a well in Mwonge in Meru South Sub-County, Tharaka-Nithi County.
County Emergency Department Manager Alex Mugambi said the pregnant woman accidentally fell into the well as she was fetching water on Friday.
He said on receiving the information, the county emergency officers rushed and managed to retrieve the body and took it to Chuka County Referral Hospital mortuary.
We have managed to retrieve the body and took it to Chuka County Referral Hospital mortuary,” said Mr Mugambi.
He said although the borehole is deep, there is enough oxygen inside and that the mother of two could have choked to death.
“The well is about five feet filled with water and the woman must have choked to death,” he said.
Mr Mugambi urged locals using such boreholes to be careful especially during rainy seasons and many places are slippery.
Sister-in-law to the deceased, Ms Wanjiru, said they suspected something was amis when the woman took long at the well and when they went to check, they found she had fallen in.
Ms Wanjiru explained that although the area is connected to piped water, the taps are always dry forcing them to use the well.
A resident, Ms Lucy Kanana said this is not the first incident of this kind in the area.
