Twelve people including 8 ladies, 2 men and 2 children perished in a grisly road accident at the Nithi Bridge in Tharaka Nithi County in the wee hours of Sunday.
All the 12 members of Vision Group were in the same public service vehicle leaving a ceremony in Kariana, Meru, to their destination in Kajiado.
According to one survivor, a member of the same self-help group, the vehicle that got involved in the accident was trying to overtake them.
“Our matatu was the first one to veer off somehow but the driver was able to control it, So it went back to the track,” Emily Nzasu recalled.
“And then, the ten-sitter behind us which had ten people and two children got involved in the accident,” she added.
She further narrated that the driver of the ten-sitter tried to overtake them before losing control and veering off to the other lane, resulting into a head on collision with a Hilux pick up headed to Meru.
After the accident, they stoppedand ran to the scene to save their colleagues but it wasn’t easy until the police, alongside the firefighters, arrived at the scene to help out.
Two survivors were rushed to Chogoria and Chuka hospitals for specialised treatment.
On his part, commander of police of Tharaka Nithi County Zacchaeus Ng’eno said that despite the spot being marked out clearly, accidents have been on the rise
The family of the deceased have mourned their loved ones saying they received the news in shock and sadness.
Among who perished was Anne Njeri and her one-year-old daughter.
According to a relative, Anne had confirmed to her she was going for a self-help group in Meru to return the following day. Njeri and her daughter were among 22 other people who attended a self-help group ceremony in Meru
His father-in-law Julius Kamau said they were informed of the accident at 3 am in the morning and they are deeply saddened of her daughter’s demise.
