Kenyan police have arrested a woman accused of throwing her eight-month-old baby into the Indian Ocean on Sunday.

Witnesses told local media that the woman allegedly tossed the baby into the ocean from a ferry as it was docking in the coastal town of Mombasa.

A video of divers rescuing the child has gone viral on social media, prompting numerous Kenyans to express anger against the woman and relief at the baby's safety.

“[She] was rushed for first aid at the Red Cross Centre, treated and discharged in fair condition and her mother taken to the police station for interrogation,” privately-owned K24 and Citizen TV have both reported, citing the police report of the incident.

The Kenya Red Cross earlier said that the baby was safe at its rescue centre.

It is not yet clear what charges, if any, will be brought against the woman.