At least 14 people died on Sunday night after a bus they were travelling in was involved in an accident near Tula along the Garissa-Nairobi road.
Ten people died on the spot. Another four succumbed to their injuries at the Garissa County Referral Hospital.
Among those dead were a woman and her three-month-old baby. Her other three-year-old child survived.
They were travelling from Nairobi to Wajir when the accident happened about midnight at Tula, 35 km from Garissa town.
Garissa police boss Aron Moriasi said 17 people were injured.
He said the casualties suffered broken limbs, head injuries and various degree of tissue injuries.
Moriasi said the driver of the Nasib Bus escaped with slight injuries. The accident happened as he tried to avoid ramming a stationary truck which was parked along the road.
“The bus hit the truck on the left side. Most of those who died and sustained injuries were seated on the left side,” Moriasi said.
Alfred Kimwele, an Administration Police officer, said he had a loud bang before the bust veered off the road and landed in a ditch.
“What followed were screams from passengers. By the time I realised something was amiss, I saw bodies on top of me,” Kimwele said.
He was travelling to Wajir town where he is stationed. He said most passengers were asleep when the accident happened.
John Mutisya said the driver was speeding. Mutisya suffered a dislocation on his shoulder. He was heading to Habaswein in Wajir.
“I thank God for saving my life. I'm urging drivers to be more careful especially when driving at night because if he was not over speeding, he could have controlled the vehicle,” Mutisya said.
Dr Ernest Siwo, the director of clinical services at the Garissa County Referral Hospital said one patient had severe head injuries but was in stable condition.
Governor Ali Korane and Senator Yussuf Haji visited the injured. Korane said the county will foot the burial expenses and hospital bills for those injured.
“I want to appeal to the drivers to be careful on this road that has claimed hundreds of lives. Speeding only leads to deaths and casualties,” Korane said.
Cloths and body parts were strewn all over the bloodied scene in the morning.
The bus was towed to the Garissa police station where owners were busy covering it with canvas and removing the company's name and the number plate in a bid to conceal the vehicle's identity.
