11 killed as overloaded minibus crashes in Kenya
The wreckage of the matatu that was involved in an accident in Kisumu on January 5, 2017. COURTESY PHOTO |
What you need to know:
- The public service vehicle, registration number KBW 624 F, was heading to Kisumu from Sirare.
- The accident occured at Nyalunya.
Eleven people have died and seven others have been injured after a matatu plunged into a ditch in Nyakach in Kisumu County.
County Commissioner Mohamed Maalim confirmed that the crash happened at around 7:15am, blaming it on overloading.
The injured were taken to Pap Onditi Sub-County Hospital for first aid before being transferred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital for further treatment.
"This is a confirmation that the matatu was overloaded and we expect a thorough investigation to be conducted into how an overloaded matatu could travel all the way from Sirare," Mr Maalim told the Nation.
The public service vehicle, registration number KBW 624 F, was heading to Kisumu from Sirare.
The accident occured at Nyalunya.
According to Kenya's traffic department, some 3,000 people die annually on the country's roads, which are clogged with trucks and other vehicles whose drivers often carry out dangerous manoeuvres to pass each other on busy sections.
But the World Health Organization (WHO) believes the figure could be as high as 12,000.
In December a tanker carrying flammable materials ploughed into 11 vehicles, causing a fireball that left over 40 dead.
