Nine people have died while four others injured in an accident along the Nairobi – Mombasa Highway in Makueni County.
Eastern regional police commander Joseph Ole Napeiyan said the deceased persons included five men, three women and a child.
The rod carnage comes barely 24 hours after another accident happened in the Ndii area in Voi, Taita Taveta, where at least 12 people lost their lives.
In the Voi accident, two vehicles collided head-on resulting in deaths on the spot. The accident occurred at 4.20 pm on the Nairobi – Mombasa Highway.
Eastern regional police commander Napeiyan said in the Makueni accident, five people died on the spot while four others succumbed at Kilungu Sub-County Hospital.
The accident occurred at Mlima Kiu area in Salama, Makueni at about 10. 30 pm on Thursday.
The matter was reported to Salama police station as a fatal traffic accident and follow–up reports respectively.
“The accident involved a trailer, Mercedes Across make, which was driven from Nairobi towards Mombasa,” Napeiyan told the Star on Friday.
He said the trailer’s driver lost its control and swerved to the wrong lane colliding head-on with a 14-seater- passenger matatu.
“As a result of the accident, the matatu driver and four passengers whose particulars are yet to be obtained died on the spot while others sustained serious injuries,” Napeiyan said.
The police boss said the accident resulted in a heavy traffic snarl along the busy highway.
He said the scene was processed by traffic personnel from Salama police station who rushed those who sustained injuries to Kilungu subcounty hospital for treatment.
“The wreckages were also removed from the scene to unblock the road, a situation that had caused heavy traffic jam along the highway,” Napeiyan said.
Napeiyan said the bodies were removed to a mortuary while wreckages were towed to the Salama police station awaiting inspection.
“Four of the eight passengers involved in a fatal road accident and rushed to Kilungu Sub-County Hospital succumbed to the injuries on arrival to the said hospital,” Napeiyan said.
The total fatalities now stand at nine people; five men, three women and a child.
He said four other victims of the accident were still fighting for their lives at the said hospital in critical condition.
