At least 60 people were killed when a truck lost control and ran over pedestrians and smashed into cars and buses at a busy junction in the west of Kenya, a large country in east Africa.
Earlier, police commander Geoffrey Mayek confirmed that there were at least “48 dead and we are suspecting one or two are still trapped under the truck.” The accident occurred on a highway between the towns of Kericho and Nakuru. “Thirty people have been seriously injured and rushed to various hospitals. The numbers could be more but as of now we are sure about 30.”
Since then, about a dozen have died at local hospitals. Heavy rains are impeding rescue operations, according to local media.
“We are suspecting a truck which was being driven … towards Kericho lost control and rammed into matatus [local minibuses] that were packed at a bus stop, running over those matatus and injuring passengers and pedestrians who were standing by the bus stop,” Mayek said.
Peter Otieno, a driver who witnessed the accident, said: “I saw a speeding oncoming trailer. I swerved and escaped hitting him head-on. The person who was behind me thought I wanted to buy something. He overtook me and that is when he was hit. The trailer went off the road and hit other vehicles. I saw about 20 bodies with my own eyes. There were other bodies that were under the vehicle.”
The Kenya Red Cross said the truck rammed more than six cars and ran over pedestrians. Photos of mangled cars could be seen on social media.
“My heart is crushed,” Kericho governor Erick Mutai said on Facebook. “It is dark moment for the people of Kericho. My heart goes out to the families who have just lost their loved ones.”
The death toll makes the accident one of the deadliest on Kenya’s roads in recent years. Last year, 34 people died in central Kenya when their bus veered off a bridge and plunged into a river valley.
The number of people killed on Kenya’s roads has increased in recent years. Its roads are in poor condition, having declined in quality in the late 20th century before bottoming out. Meanwhile, Kenya’s population and road traffic have increased.
“The country mourns with the families who have lost loved ones in a horrific road accident in Londiani,” said Kenyan President William Ruto. “It is distressing that some of the fatalities are young people with a promising future and business people who were on their daily chores.”
