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Tears in Kisumu as relatives collect 22 bodies from Coptic roundabout crash
15th August, 2025 02:33 PM
Tears and grief engulfed Kisumu on Friday, August 15, 2025, as families and friends gathered to collect the remains of 22 loved ones who perished in the devastating Coptic roundabout crash along the Kisumu–Kakamega highway on Friday, August 8, 2025.
The sombre exercise, marked by emotional scenes at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) mortuary, brought to the surface the painful memories of one of the deadliest road tragedies in the region’s recent history.
In a video shared by a local television station, caskets bearing the remains of the victims were seen neatly arranged outside the hospital, some with the top end open to allow viewing.
Family members moved from one to another, searching for those holding their loved ones, some breaking down in tears and holding tightly onto each other.
The footage also showed Red Cross staff assisting in the identification of the bodies, while the majority of the grieving relatives continued to weep as the solemn exercise went on.
The accident occurred when a bus carrying 61 family members overturned near the Coptic roundabout.
The group had been travelling to Nyakach after attending the burial of a relative in Nyahera, Kisumu West sub-county. The vehicle is believed to have struck an object on the road, causing the driver to lose control before the bus rolled over.
In its statement on the day of the accident, JOOTRH confirmed that 19 bodies were transported directly from the crash scene to the hospital.
Two unidentified adult males and a male child later succumbed to their injuries shortly after arrival, bringing the official death toll to 21.
The incident also left 21 other passengers injured, with the hospital indicating that all survivors were stable and under continuous medical observation in the Emergency and Accident Unit.
“Staff at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) moved swiftly this evening to receive and save the lives of survivors from a tragic road accident that occurred at the Coptic roundabout area along the Kisumu-Kakamega road. The accident involved a school bus carrying family members who were on their way to Nyakach after attending a burial of their relative in Nyahera, Kisumu West sub-county,” the hospital wrote on Facebook.
Hospital officials at the time said staff moved swiftly to save lives and set up a dedicated help desk to assist concerned relatives.
They also assured the public that the facility remained on high alert, fully staffed, and equipped to handle any further emergency needs. The hospital extended condolences to the bereaved families and appealed to all motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads.
The wreckage of the school bus, surrounded by shocked residents at the crash site, became a haunting reminder of the fragility of life on Kenyan highways.
Death toll
In the days after the Coptic roundabout crash, the death toll climbed from the initially reported 21 to 25, as more victims succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.
This was confirmed by Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga on August 9, 2025, who described the incident as one of the most devastating road tragedies in recent memory.
Dr Oluga, speaking shortly after the update, announced that an urgent blood drive had been launched at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) to cater to the needs of the many survivors who required transfusions and ongoing critical care.
He emphasised that the hospital was working round the clock to save lives, with medical teams drawn from various departments mobilised to assist.
“Principal Secretary for Medical Services Dr Ouma Oluga has announced an urgent blood drive at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) to aid survivors of a road accident that killed 25 people along the Kisumu–Kakamega road,” a statement shared via the Ministry of Health’s official X account read.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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