The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has responded to a series of deadly road accidents that occurred on major highways across the country in the last 24 hours, leaving several people dead and others injured.
In a statement, NTSA said the crashes happened along the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway and the Gilgil–Nakuru Highway and involved public service vehicles, commercial trucks and private vehicles.
At least six people are feared dead following a multi-vehicle accident that occurred on Thursday night at the Konza City area along Mombasa Road in Machakos County. The crash involved a shuttle headed to Loitoktok, a lorry and a Tahmeed bus travelling from Mombasa.
NTSA said all the reported fatalities were passengers in the shuttle. Several others sustained serious injuries, with some victims trapped inside the wreckage while others lay on the ground awaiting rescue. Witnesses described the accident as severe, saying the vehicles were badly damaged. The crash happened at around 11pm on Friday, January 2.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the matatu driver attempted to overtake another vehicle, leading to a head-on collision.
Less than 24 hours after the Konza accident, another fatal crash was reported at the Kikopey area in Gilgil, Nakuru County, where five people lost their lives. The accident occurred along the busy Nairobi–Nakuru Highway and involved a 14-seater Rift Valley Shuttle matatu, a foreign-registered truck and a stalled trailer.
NTSA said initial findings show that the truck failed to maintain a safe following distance, causing it to hit the matatu from behind before the matatu crashed into the stalled trailer.
A third accident was reported at Taita Village along the Nairobi–Mombasa Highway and involved a bus operated by Janan Bus Services. NTSA said the driver failed to keep the correct lane while overtaking and lost control of the vehicle. No deaths were reported, but several passengers were injured.
The authority said investigations into all the crashes are ongoing and further updates will be provided.
NTSA noted that dangerous overtaking, failure to keep safe distances and loss of vehicle control were common factors in the accidents. The authority urged all road users to be extra cautious and strictly follow traffic rules, especially as schools reopen next week and traffic volumes are expected to increase from Monday.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic road traffic crashes that have claimed several lives and left others injured along major highways in the last 24 hours,” the statement read.
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