At least four people are feared dead following a head-on collision involving two trucks that triggered a massive fire at Kiunduani in Makindu along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway on Sunday.
The victims are believed to have been trapped inside the wreckage after the trucks burst into flames, leaving them with little chance of escape. They reportedly suffered severe burns.
Witnesses said those feared dead include the drivers of the two trucks, a woman and a child who were travelling in one of the vehicles. The woman was also reportedly pregnant, although the claim had not been independently verified by the time of publication.
Police had yet to issue an official statement or confirm the reported death toll, while the circumstances leading to the head-on collision remained unclear.
Footage from the scene showed desperate attempts by members of the public to extinguish the raging fire as motorists were stranded in long traffic queues along the busy highway.
Emergency responders were not visible in the footage captured shortly after the accident.
The latest tragedy adds to a growing list of deadly road crashes along the 461-kilometre Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, which has witnessed several fatal accidents in recent months amid rising concerns over road safety.
More than 40 people have reportedly lost their lives in separate accidents along the highway since September.
Among the most devastating incidents was the October 25 Kanga collision, which claimed 22 lives, followed by the October 3 Salama accident that left 17 people dead.
Other fatal crashes include the September 16 Kapiti accident, which claimed five lives, the September 23 Taru crash that killed two people, and the latest Kiunduani tragedy.
The recurring accidents have renewed concerns over road safety on one of Kenya’s busiest transport corridors, which serves thousands of motorists and carries a significant share of the country’s cargo traffic.
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