Londiani, Kenya
June 30, 2023
The death toll of a road crash in western Kenya rose to 52 on Saturday, officials said, as rescuers worked to clear the wreckage from one of the deadliest traffic accidents in the country in recent years.
A truck carrying a shipping container veered out of control and ploughed into multiple other vehicles and people thronging a busy roadside junction on Friday evening, plunging the nation into shock and mourning.
Erick Mutai, the governor of Kericho county, where the crash occurred, gave an updated death toll of 52 and said it included 31 men, 18 women and two children.
The transport minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said on a visit to the crash site at Londiani junction that new safety measures would be introduced after what he described as a “terrible” and “painful” tragedy.
“Investigations have been launched to establish the cause of this accident, but we urge drivers to be cautious and follow the rules,” he told reporters. In a later statement, he also gave a death toll of 52 and said 32 people had been injured, adding that the truck involved was registered in Rwanda.
The Kenyan station Citizen TV reported that the vehicle’s driver had died, but this could not immediately be confirmed independently.
The trailer rammed into private cars, minibuses, boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) and market stalls on the side of a busy highway between the lakeside town of Nakuru and Kericho, an area known for its lush tea plantations.
Footage emerged late on Friday showing the mangled wreckage of multiple vehicles as rescuers worked in the dark in pouring rain and ambulance sirens wailed.
On Saturday, large crowds of onlookers were at the scene, where the overturned container was stuck in a ditch. Debris, including car seats, piles of fruit, a damaged axle and a lone black boot, was strewn across a wide area.
“The accident happened in a flash. Many of them had no time to escape,” said one witness, Joel Rotich. “There was a lot of confusion because people were screaming all over and everyone was running after the accident.”
Source
1. Hella lotta scrap metal but no bodies or gore...
2.
3.
4. Anything worth stealing?
June 30, 2023
The death toll of a road crash in western Kenya rose to 52 on Saturday, officials said, as rescuers worked to clear the wreckage from one of the deadliest traffic accidents in the country in recent years.
A truck carrying a shipping container veered out of control and ploughed into multiple other vehicles and people thronging a busy roadside junction on Friday evening, plunging the nation into shock and mourning.
Erick Mutai, the governor of Kericho county, where the crash occurred, gave an updated death toll of 52 and said it included 31 men, 18 women and two children.
The transport minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said on a visit to the crash site at Londiani junction that new safety measures would be introduced after what he described as a “terrible” and “painful” tragedy.
“Investigations have been launched to establish the cause of this accident, but we urge drivers to be cautious and follow the rules,” he told reporters. In a later statement, he also gave a death toll of 52 and said 32 people had been injured, adding that the truck involved was registered in Rwanda.
The Kenyan station Citizen TV reported that the vehicle’s driver had died, but this could not immediately be confirmed independently.
The trailer rammed into private cars, minibuses, boda bodas (motorcycle taxis) and market stalls on the side of a busy highway between the lakeside town of Nakuru and Kericho, an area known for its lush tea plantations.
Footage emerged late on Friday showing the mangled wreckage of multiple vehicles as rescuers worked in the dark in pouring rain and ambulance sirens wailed.
On Saturday, large crowds of onlookers were at the scene, where the overturned container was stuck in a ditch. Debris, including car seats, piles of fruit, a damaged axle and a lone black boot, was strewn across a wide area.
“The accident happened in a flash. Many of them had no time to escape,” said one witness, Joel Rotich. “There was a lot of confusion because people were screaming all over and everyone was running after the accident.”
Source
1. Hella lotta scrap metal but no bodies or gore...
2.
3.
4. Anything worth stealing?
