Dozens killed in Kenya road crash

by Editor3
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At least 48 people have been killed when a truck apparently lost control and rammed into other vehicles and pedestrians at a busy junction in western Kenya, police say.

โ€œSo far, we can confirm 48 dead and we are suspecting one or two are still trapped under the truck,โ€ local police commander Geoffrey Mayek said after the accident on the highway between the towns of Kericho and Nakuru on Friday night.

โ€œThirty people have been seriously injured and rushed to various hospitals. The numbers could be more but as of now we are sure about 30.โ€

Regional police commander Tom Odera confirmed the death toll stood at 48.

Heavy rains are hindering rescue operations, local media reports said.

โ€œWe are suspecting a truck which was being driven โ€ฆ 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.โ€

Peter Otieno, a driver, who witnessed the accident said, โ€œI 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.

โ€œI saw about 20 bodies with my own eyes. There were other bodies that were under the vehicle.โ€

The Kenya Red Cross said the truck rammed more than six vehicles and ran over pedestrians. Images posted by local television stations showed several mangled vehicles.

โ€œMy heart is crushed,โ€ Kericho governor Erick Mutai said on Facebook. โ€œIt is dark moment for the people of Kericho. My heart goes out to the families who have just lost their loved ones.โ€

The death toll makes the accident one of the most deadly on Kenyaโ€™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 Kenyaโ€™s roads has increased in recent years, according to government statistics.

โ€œThe country mourns with the families who have lost loved ones in a horrific road accident in Londiani,โ€ Kenyan President William Ruto wrote in a tweet.

โ€œIt is distressing that some of the fatalities are young people with a promising future and business people who were on their daily chores.โ€ (AlJazeera)

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