On Sunday night, a Nairobi-bound matatu was involved in a grisly road accident at Jua Kali in Tetu, Nyeri County, causing panic among residents and other road users who witnessed the incident.
The matatu, a minibus popularly known as 'Upper Cut', was reportedly being driven recklessly before it lost control and overturned in the middle of the road.
Videos and images obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed the matatu with its full disco lights still on and the music blasting loudly amid the chaos and confusion.
Additionally, female voices could be heard screaming for help from the wreckage of the matatu that had disrupted normal activities on the road.
Traffic was also brought to a standstill as passersby attempted to get help to help the tens of passengers who were trapped under the wreckage.
''Upper Cut has fallen, and we are in Zaina Nyeri. Many people are trapped, and we urgently need help here," one of the survivors shouted.
A total of 22 passengers who were in the matatu were injured, with four of them admitted in critical condition. They were admitted to Nyeri County Referral Hospital for treatment.
The matatu was ferrying passengers who are said to have booked it for a trip to Zaina Falls in Nyeri County for a weekend getaway.
According to eyewitnesses, the matatu was earlier seen on Thika Road in Nairobi, carelessly swaying on the major highway, oblivious of the danger to those on board.
Rescue operations were quickly launched, led by local emergency responders and police officers from Nyeri County, with passengers rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical care.
In a dramatic twist, one of the ambulances dispatched to assist in the operation was involved in a minor accident after colliding with another vehicle en route to the hospital.
Meanwhile, following the incident, many social media users familiar with the PSV blamed the authorities, including the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), for failing to take action on the matatu despite constant disregard of traffic laws.
