A tanker overturned and exploded on the Nairobi-Nyeri highway near Marua in Nyeri County.
Footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed the tanker engulfed in flames, with onlookers keeping their distance.
Details of the cause of the explosion and any casualties are yet to be confirmed.
However, preliminary reports suggest that the driver lost control of the vehicle before it overturned.
The footage shows the tanker in flames at a sharp bend in the road, with no other vehicles in the immediate vicinity. However, it is not possible to establish this clearly as heavy forest cover obstructs the view of the burning tanker.
The incident caused a huge inferno, with thick black smoke billowing into the air, visible from far, sparking fears that it might spread to the neighbouring forest cover.
The accident was confirmed by the Kenya Red Cross, who disclosed that emergency response teams were on the scene to commence safety and rescue operations.
“A petroleum tanker has overturned and exploded along the Nairobi–Nyeri highway,” Kenya Red Cross shared.
“The county fire brigade and response teams are currently at the scene,” it added.
The fire led to a massive traffic jam at the usually busy highway as motorists avoided the scene of the accident.
More footage showed vehicles stuck in traffic with others parked by the roadside as transport operations were rendered paralysed.
Tanker explosions in Kenya have historically had devastating consequences.
In 2009, over 100 people were killed in Sachang’wan after a petrol tanker burst into flames as residents tried to scoop fuel. In 2021, 13 people lost their lives in Malanga, Siaya County, when another fuel tanker exploded.
