Heavy rainfall proved disastrous on a Kenyan thoroughfare, as a bus transporting students from a distinguished university collided with a truck, resulting in the deaths of 11 students and causing serious harm to 42 others, as detailed by police accounts.
The incident took place on Monday at 5:50 pm (1450 GMT) in Maungu, situated 360 kilometers (220 miles) from Nairobi, as students of Kenyatta University embarked on a journey to Mombasa, the renowned coastal hub.
Police confirmed that ten individuals succumbed instantly, while another passed away later at the hospital, bringing the total fatalities to eleven, with 42 others sustaining severe injuries.
“The driver of (the) university bus was overtaking a fleet of motor vehicles and as it was raining heavily, the bus skidded to the right side of the road,” the police report said.
This “prompted the driver of the truck to avoid head on collision, hence hitting the left side of the university bus,” it added.
The bus was transporting a total of 58 individuals who were on an educational excursion.
The Kenyan Red Cross reported that the injured individuals were transported to a hospital in the neighboring town of Voi, as announced on X, previously known as Twitter.
Kenyatta University said on Tuesday it was “deeply saddened” by the accident and had set up a help desk at the main campus to provide “assistance during this challenging time”.
“Some of the injured students are in the process of assessment for possible evacuation to Nairobi,” it said.
Road accidents are common in the east African nation, where road conditions are often poor and traffic regulations violated or ignored.
According to figures by the National Transport and Safety Authority, 4,324 people were killed and 18,561 injured in 2023 in road accidents in Kenya, down 7.8 percent from the previous year.
Read also: Many Killed, Scores Injured After Gas Blast In Kenyan Capital
The early days of 2024 were marred by tragedy, as 536 fatalities occurred between January 1 and February 11, showing a sobering five-percent increase compared to the same timeframe in the prior year.
The passing of Kelvin Kiptum, the 24-year-old world marathon record holder, on February 11, emerged as the foremost incident during that period, drawing considerable attention.
Tragedy struck on Tuesday in western Kenya as five individuals lost their lives and 18 others sustained injuries when their van collided with a tractor.
The community mourned on Saturday as a high school student and a teacher tragically perished in an accident when their bus, transporting 63 individuals, lost control and rolled down a slope multiple times.