Tourists escape grenade attack in Likoni.double click and read more...

 A grenade is seen at the scene of crime where many were killed after gunmen stormed the Westgate Mall in Nairobi September 21, 2013. Two tourists escaped an attack near Likoni Thursday morning after a grenade thrown at their vehicle failed to explode.

Two British tourists escaped an attack near Likoni Thursday morning after a grenade thrown at their vehicle failed to explode.

The tourists were headed for Amboseli National Park when the hurled grenade hit one of the vehicle's side windows.

The 7:30 am bomb scare sparked fears dumbing the Kenya at 50 celebrations in Likoni, Mombasa County.

Eyewitnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the DRIVE HOT BLOG that a lone man approached the Land Cruiser and threw the grenade before quickly disappearing into the nearby sprawling village.

This happened as the driver slowed down at Kona Mpya ya Mtongwe junction to negotiate sections of a damaged road.

“Luckily, the device just hit the side window of the vehicle and fell on the road without exploding as the lone man majestically walked away into the sprawling village,” one of the the eyewitnesses said.

The lone man had earlier been seen sitting in wait along the busy Likoni-Lunga Lunga road from 6am but none of the touts and matatu drivers that ply the Mtongwe route took much notice.

After the driver reported the matter to the nearby Inuka Police Station, officers rushed to the scene and sealed off the area and had a hectic time controlling the huge crowd of curious onlookers.

The driver seemed shaken on realising the magnitude of the incident. He, however, proceeded on with his journey, taking the tourists from Diani in the South Coast to the national park.

At 10am, bomb expert Senior Sergeant Salim Mwalonya arrived and using two sacks filled with sand were laid round the grenade to act as barriers when detonating the device.

The busy road was temporarily closed down and onlookers were pushed more than 100 metres away from the bomb scene.

The impact on detonation caused the sand in the two sacks to be scattered in a radius of over 50 metres and the loud bang could be heard as far as the Kenya Navy headquarters.

In jubilation, the crowd carried the bomb expert shoulder-high, praising his courage and the way he dealt with the dangerous device.

Speaking to the media at the scene, Likoni OCPD Robert Murithi said the police had launched a manhunt for the suspect.

“We have started intense investigations and manhunt to get the culprit and we are confident we will soon make a breakthrough,” he said adding that they had received good leads from members of the public.

Because of this month’s festivities, Mr Murithi said they have intensified patrols within Likoni to ensure there were no ugly incidents.