At least 10 people lost their lives and 11 others were injured in multiple car crashes at Salama area on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway on Monday night April 1, 2024.
Police said the accident happened at around 8:30 pm when a lorry heading towards the Mombasa direction collided head-on with an 18-seater matatu.
The impact of the collision triggered a new wave of accidents involving other vehicles.
“It happened that motor vehicle registration number KBC 564M Isuzu FSR was being driven from Nairobi general direction towards Mombasa general direction and on reaching the accident site, the driver failed to keep to his proper lane and also made a sudden right turn without due care and attention resulting in a head-on collision with motor vehicle registration number KDK 259U Toyota Hiace matatu of Spanish Sacco,” Mukaa Sub-county Police Commander Barnabas Ng’eno said.
The accident involved the 18-seater matatu registered to Spanish Sacco, the Isuzu lorry, a 14-seater matatu registered to Naekana Sacco, another truck and a saloon car.
The vehicles were travelling through the Mlima Kiu area, a notorious black spot along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
Witnesses said the lorry driver reportedly failed to keep to his proper traffic lane and also turned right abruptly and without due care and attention hence colliding head-on with the matatus from two local saccos.
10 people died in the accident while at least 11 others suffered serious injuries.
“Due to the impact of the accident, 10 passengers in different motor vehicles are feared dead while others are seriously injured and have been rushed to Sultan Hamud Hospital,” police said.
The deceased included two girls aged between five and eight, a boy aged about five years, three female adults and four male adults.
Police said four passengers were killed on the spot while others succumbed to the injuries in hospital.
Survivors were rushed to Sultan Hamud Hospital.
The rescue was hampered by rains that were being experienced in the area at the time of the incident.
The accident affected traffic flow on the busy highway for more than two hours before more reinforcement arrived to help manage the situation.
The bodies of the deceased were moved to a local mortuary pending identification and postmortem.
Kisumu
Meanwhile, another accident occurred at the Kondele roundabout along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway in Kisumu County.
Kenya Red Cross in a statement on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, said 32 people were swiftly taken to hospital following the accident in Kisumu.
The accident involved a PSV bus.
The Red Cross said it is currently providing tracing and psychosocial support services to those affected.
Thirty-two people have been swiftly taken to hospital following a tragic road traffic incident involving a PSV bus at the Kondele roundabout along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway in Kisumu County.
— Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) April 1, 2024
This response was made possible thanks to the county ambulance, @EMS_Kenya and other… pic.twitter.com/witgeZRq0q
