UPDATE Wednesday, December 14: A traffic snarl-up was witnessed along the busy Nairobi-Thika-Nyeri road after an oil tanker was involved in a multiple car crash.
Motorists lamented that police were slow in clearing the traffic and unsealing the accident scene.
The accident occured along the Nairobi-Thika-Nyeri Road (A2) near Thika town, at Blue Post Hotel.
Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) confirmed that the carnage occurred on Wednesday morning, December 14.
Police are among the emergency providers who rushed to the scene to man the area and rescued the victims.
The number of casualties was, however, still uncertain, similar to the cause of the accident.
"The accident has occasioned that stretch of the road to be completely blocked as the police conduct rescue operations," KeNHA announced.
From the photos shared by the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA), the tanker appeared to have collided with a lorry, pushing it to the roadside.
Oil from the tanker also spilt on the busy Nairobi-Thika-Nyeri Road. Guard rails on the road were also damaged, with the chassis of one of the vehicles hanging on it.
Other car parts were scattered along the road, hindering movement from both sides, while other parts seemed to have fallen into the Chania Falls.
In one of the photos, a trailer swayed off the road, hitting a signpost.
On the same day, Wednesday, December 14, KeNHA recorded another accident involving two trailer trucks at Governor, between Mai Mahiu and Naivasha.
The two trucks caught fire on impact, which was put under control as police controlled the traffic flow.
"Motorists are to exercise caution and lane discipline as the scene is being cleared. Overlapping will lead to snarl-ups and cause unnecessary delays," KeNHA advised.
According to data released by the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA), accidents recorded between January and October 2022, increased from 16,642 in 2021 to 17,550.
