Scores Feared Dead as Tanker Hits Matatu, Transformer Before Exploding

A tanker explosion along Eldoret-Webuye road, in Kakamega County on August 26, 2021
A tanker explosion along Eldoret-Webuye road, in Kakamega County on August 26, 2021
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Several people are feared to have lost their lives after a petrol tanker burst into flames on Thursday evening, August 26, after colliding with a matatu at Mukhonje area along the Eldoret-Webuye road, in Kakamega County.

The tanker is reported to have lost control, hit a stationery matatu, which then hit an electricity transformer and caught fire.

According to witnesses on the site, about seven people are feared to be dead after being trapped in the matatu.

Multiple shops near the scene also caught fire with property of an unknown value up in flames. 

Firefighters putting out fire after a petrol tanker exploded on August 26, 2021, along Eldoret-Webuye road, in Kakamega County,
Firefighters putting out fire after a petrol tanker exploded on August 26, 2021, along Eldoret-Webuye road, in Kakamega County,
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Nearby residents helplessly watched the blazing flame rage on as they waited for firefighters to respond to the accident.

"We tried to rescue a number of people who had been trapped in the Nissan but we could not manage to save all of them as the fire was strong," narrated one of the witnessed of the incident

Tragedies related to petrol tanker explosions have been common in recent months, with at least two tanker explosion incidents happening in the last two months.

In one of the incidents, at least 12 people died on Sunday, July 18, after a fire erupted from a petrol tanker that had overturned in Malanga along Kisumu-Busia road.

In a separate incident, on Friday night, August 7, another fuel tanker lost control, crashing and bursting into flames along the busy Northern Corridor Road in Busia.

No reports of siphoning fuel from the tanker have been reported, with Kenyans having previously been notorious for rushing to siphon fuel from overturned tankers.

Past cases of siphoning fuel from overturned tankers have mostly ended in tragedy as most locals end up losing their lives.

Remains of a fuel tanker explosion in Malanga along Kisumu-Busia road on July 18, 2021.
Remains of a fuel tanker explosion in Malanga along Kisumu-Busia road on July 18, 2021.
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