Several people have been confirmed dead after a harrowing accident involving a matatu and several motorcycles.
The accident, which occurred on the morning of Sunday, June 8, saw the matatu plunge into a ditch, ramming into two motorcycles in its wake.
According to witnesses, the crash occurred around 11am along a dangerously steep slope between Ichuni and Keroka town.
The Nairobi-bound matatu had picked up several passengers along the Kilgoris-Nyangusu-Gesusu-Masimba route before eventually losing control moments later under unclear circumstances.
Images of the scene obtained by Kenyans.co.ke painted a harrowing picture, as the matatu appeared badly mangled as it lay in the ditch.
Notably, one of the vehicle's tyres was conspicuously missing, with eyewitnesses recounting how the wheel malfunctioned, prompting the matatu to zigzag for a few seconds before coming into contact with two motorcycles.
Tragically, among those who lost their lives in the accident were pedestrians. At the time of publication of this article, bystanders and emergency responders were trying to get some of the passengers trapped in the wreckage out to be transported to nearby health facilities.
Preliminary reports indicate three people died instantly from the crash, although the number of casualties could be higher.
While details of the crash remain scant, officers at the scene refuse to rule out overspeeding, which is common, particularly at the slope leading to Keroka town.
This is the latest accident on a major road that has claimed several lives, coming just days after several police officers lost their lives after their patrol car collided with a trailer at Matisi, along the Bungoma-Webuye Highway.
According to reports, the two vehicles collided, leaving the police car completely mangled.
In a separate incident, two people died on May 13 after the matatu they were travelling in got involved in a road accident at Malili on the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
The early morning accident left several others with injuries after a Naekana Matatu travelling from Taveta to Nairobi collided with a lorry.
