Eleven people have died after a 21-seater mini-bus rolled down Thura River bridge in Embu County on Tuesday morning, November 16.
Area police boss, Kivinda Kilonzo, confirmed the tragedy, pointing out that the vehicle ran out of fuel while climbing the steep bridge which caused it to roll back several times.
According to Kilonzo, the bus was heading to Siakago, Mbeere North.
"The driver sent the conductor to buy fuel from a nearby filling station. Upon returning with the fuel and igniting the engine, the vehicle rolled back several times. We suspect several passengers died in the accident," Kilonzo spoke to the media.
The police boss further intimated that the bus consisted of a group of people who had gone to collect money for the elderly at Siakago.
At the time of publishing this article, rescue operations were still ongoing. Photos went round on social media of the mini-bus with netizens terming the day as Black Tuesday for the residents within Embu county.
Police officers have been urging motorists to stay alert especially during the festive season when accident cases steadily rise. According to data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) from January 1, 2021 to September 20,2021, there has been an increase of 25 percent in road fatalities.
This means that 3,212 people have been killed as compared to 2,560 who succumbed to road accidents a similar period in 2020.
Another survey by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) revealed that accidents have been on a gradual rise in the past two years. This was attributed to either engaging in risky behaviour such as speeding and drunk driving or rushing to beat curfew in major urban centres.
“Drivers involved in road accidents increased by 20.0 percent to 1,753 while those seriously injured increased by 26.6 percent to 824 in 2020,”the report revealed.
