Africa-Press – Kenya. Three people have died, and several others sustained injuries after the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in a grisly road traffic accident along the busy Nairobi–Mombasa highway in Kibwezi, Makueni County.
According to Evans Peter, Head of the Kenya Red Cross Society in Makueni County, the three victims died on the spot when the bus overturned at Zion area near Machinery Market in Kibwezi Subcounty on Friday.
The vehicle, carrying some students from a university, was heading to Mombasa from Nairobi when the accident occurred in the evening.
“Three people died on the spot while six others sustained injuries and were rushed to Kambu Level 4 Subcounty Hospital, where they are receiving treatment,” Peter said.
He spoke to reporters on the phone a few hours after the accident. Peter added that the injured were transported in an ambulance provided by the Makueni County Government.
The Kenya Red Cross official said the students had reportedly hired the vehicle for their journey to Mombasa when the incident occurred.
“The scene has been cleared, and there is no traffic snarl-up. The university students had hired the vehicle to take them to Mombasa,” he said.
The bodies were moved to a local mortuary, awaiting autopsy.
The wreckage was towed to Kibwezi Police Station for inspection and other necessary procedures.
Members of the public gathered at the scene, with some assisting in the rescue operation.
Kyulu Assistant County Commissioner William Tonui said the driver lost control while trying to avoid hitting a man reportedly walking erratically in the middle of the road.
“According to the reports we have gathered, a man behaving unusually was walking in the middle of the road. The driver tried to avoid him but lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn,” Tonui said.
He urged motorists to exercise caution while using the highway to prevent further loss of life in similar road accidents.
