Nairobi — Six more were on Monday morning retrieved from the wreckage of the bus that plunged into River Nithi, raising the death toll to 30.

Police said thirteen people were in hospital, some with serious injuries even as the search for more bodies continued in the river.

Tharaka Nithi County Commissioner Nobert Komora said they were also working to retrieve the bus wreckage.

"We are still searching for more bodies in the river in the exercise that resumed this (Monday) morning," he said.

The accident occured on Sunday at about 6pm when the Mombasa-bound bus plunged into the river, about 40 meters down, killing 20 people on the spot. Six others were pronounced dead on arrival in hospital.

The search and rescue was, however, called off until Monday morning when six more bodies were retrieved.

Police said preliminary investigations had shown that the bus plunged into the river due to brake failure at the bridge that is marked as a black spot due to the high number of accidents that have occurred there.

"The accident occurred at about 6pm, and we are having challenges retrieving the bodies," a local police officer said.

There were fears that some of the bodies may have been swept away.