The bus is still stuck in the river some 30 meters away from the bridge, although the waters are continuing to subside, Tana River county commander Ali Ndiema told The Associated Press.
Ndiema said the road has now been closed indefinitely. He said anyone found violating the order will be arrested and charged.
He said all passengers are accounted-for. Police are looking for the driver of the bus who ignored passengers’ concerns and insisted on driving through the water.
Police said some of the passengers managed to escape just before the bus was submerged, while others climbed onto the roof.
The incident happened just hours after Kenya’s roads agency announced the closure of another section of the same road that was flooded after the Tana River swelled due to continuing heavy rains.
The government had on Monday issued a flood alert to residents of Tana River and Lamu counties after a dam upstream was breached by flooding.