AFP, published on Friday, June 30, 2023 at 23:19.
At least 48 people were killed in a traffic accident in western Kenya on Friday evening at a busy intersection, the local police said.
“At this point we can confirm that 48 people are dead and we estimate that one or two others are still stuck in the truck,” Police Commander Geoffrey Mayek told AFP after the collision on the highway between the cities of Kericho and Nakuru.
He reported that at least 30 injured people were taken to nearby hospitals.
“We estimate that a truck en route to Kericho lost control and hit Matatus (local minibuses, ed.) at a bus stop, drove over the Matatus and injured passengers and pedestrians who were at that bus stop.” , said the policeman.
Collins Kipkoech, chief physician at Kericho County Hospital, said he received 45 bodies while other victims were admitted at other facilities. “And the rescue continues,” he added.
Several local television stations showed images of crashed vehicles.
“The truck drove at full speed and honked its horn,” said a witness to the accident, Maureen Jepkoech. “He tried to dodge several vehicles before finding himself in the middle of the market.”
“I’ve heard people say the vehicle lost its brakes. But I don’t know if that was the case,” she added.
“The accident happened instantly,” said another witness, Joel Rotich. “Many did not have time to flee.”
“There was a lot of confusion: people were screaming and running around,” he said.
Traffic accidents are common in Africa. A bus-truck collision killed 20 people in Senegal in January, a week after another accident killed more than 40 people.