Fresh details have emerged on the Sunday, February 13, accident that saw a truck ferrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders explode near the Mutarakwa area along the Mai Mahiu - Nairobi highway.
Reports indicated that several vehicles were burnt to ashes after they were engulfed in flames that lasted for more than an hour before the fire was contained.
Witnesses who spoke to the media intimated that the driver of a nearby truck ignored warnings from those at the scene and kept driving on with the hope of getting past the scene successfully.
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However, he drove too close to the scene of the accident, and in just a few minutes, his truck burst into flames.
"Police officers had rushed to the scene and warned everyone else to keep off," a witness told Citizen TV.
Further, two other vehicles that had been involved in an earlier accident at the same scene were also not spared as they were engulfed in flames.
Media reports indicated that the accident occurred at 6am when the tanker ferrying the LPG gas cylinders lost control and overturned. Fearing that the tanker would explode, the driver informed his employer of the accident and the company immediately dispatched a rescue crew with a crane to facilitate the operation.
At 11am, the team began the mission to hoist the tanker from the road but the efforts proved futile. As attempts were being made, the gas started leaking and the tanker exploded shortly after.
This led to passersby fleeing from the scene. The nearby vehicles including a police car and a probox were engulfed in the flames.
Kiambu County Commander, Wilson Wayanga, affirmed that there were no casualties after the accident, revealing that those injured were taken to hospital.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) advised motorists plying the road to use alternative routes before the road was cleared.
"Further to our earlier advisory about the road accident at the Mutarakwa Shopping Centre along the Mai Mahiu Road, motorists are advised to consider using the following alternative routes: For traffic heading to or from Nakuru, use the Nairobi- Nakuru Highway.
"Traffic to or from Narok, Suswa and Mai Mahiu can use the Thogoto - Mutarakwa route or the Kwa Mbira route to avoid the affected section," read part of the statement.
