8 killed, others injured in road accident in eastern Kenya
NAN-F-32
Accident
Makueni (Kenya), April 27, 2017 (Xinhua/NAN) At least eight people were killed and 12 others seriously injured in a ghastly road accident along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway in eastern Kenya early on Thursday, Area divisional Police Commander, Zacharia Bitok, said.
Bitok said the accident occurred when a commuter minibus which was ferrying passengers from Mtito-Andei to Nairobi collided with a truck that was heading to Mombasa a few meters from Salama market in Makueni County.
“The driver of the minibus was among those killed.
“The truck, which was loaded with timber, overturned following the impact of the collision.
“The eight died instantly while 12 others among them the lorry turn boys were rushed to Machakos level-5 hospital,” he told journalists at the scene.
Bitok said the driver of the minibus failed to overtake some vehicles leading to a head-on collision with the truck.
He said the whereabouts of the other passengers remained unknown.
The accident has disrupted traffic as the truck is blocking the busy highway.
The incident comes two days after another one that occurred few meters away from the scene, killed 27 people and injured 20 others at Kambu, Kibwezi area.
Police say they are investigating both incidents.
Kenya ranks among African countries with the highest number of road accidents that are caused by speeding and lethargic enforcement of traffic rules.
According to the police, government statistics indicate that the East African nation loses at least 3,000 people annually from road carnage, with close to half being pedestrians, while several others are left with injuries. (Xinhua/NAN)
OYE/AMY
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Abdullahi Yusuf