5-yr-old child miraculously escapes deadly Gilgil accident with minor injuries

K24 Editorial 12th February, 2021 12:02 PM

The mangled wreck (right) of the 14-seater matatu whose nine out of 14 occupants have been confirmed dead following the Gilgil accident. PHOTO | KIGOTHO MWANGI

By Kigotho Mwangi,

A five-year-old child miraculously escaped with minor injuries the deadly Gilgil accident that killed nine people on Friday morning.

The accident occurred at Gilgil in the small hours of Friday morning when a 14-seater matatu collided head-on with an oncoming trailer at Soysambu in Gilgil area on the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway.

The child escaped with minor injuries and is among five people receiving treatment in nearby hospitals.

Speaking to K24 Digital, Gilgil Sub-County Police Commander John Onditi said that the matatu driver is among eight people who died on the spot when the 14-seater PSV collided head-on with a trailer near St Mary’s Hospital.

One other passenger was pronounced dead on arrival at St James Hospital where he was rushed to by emergency rescuers.

Onditi, who warned motorists to exercise caution while on the road, said that the matatu collided with an oncoming lorry that was overtaking a chain of vehicles.

He said that the injured were taken to the nearby St Mary’s Hospital and Nakuru Country Referral Hospital.

The police boss also cautioned people against boarding already full vehicles and to adhere to Covid-19 regulations.