Seven people on Wednesday noon lost their lives in a grisly road accident along the Katito-Kendu Bay highway in Nyakach, Kisumu County.
The accident occurred after a lorry reportedly lost control and collided with an oncoming matatu, killing seven on the spot.
While confirming the incident, Kisumu Regional Traffic Commandant Allan Mwangi noted emergency service providers had already been dispatched to the scene.
“Response teams are currently at the scene,” Kenya Red Cross noted in a post.
According to reports, the matatu full of passengers was heading to Homa Bay when the lorry ferrying sand veered from its lane and hit it.
Those injured were rushed to the hospital under critical condition with traffic along the road facing disruption for several minutes before the wreckage of the two vehicles was towed away.
Meanwhile, officers from Pap Onditi Police Station have launched investigations to establish the cause of the accident.
The police have since appealed to motorists to exercise caution on the roads to curb such incidents.
In a similar accident along the same highway, two months ago, four people reportedly died after a private car heading to Kisumu rammed into three pedestrians and a boda rider before veering off to a nearby thicket.
One person died on the spot, while the rest succumbed while receiving treatment at the Homa Bay County Referral Hospital.
Rachuonyo North sub-county Police Commander Lydia Parteiyie confirmed the incident stating that detectives launched investigations to unravel the main cause of the accident.
According to statistics by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), road accidents across the country have claimed 536 lives so far this year. This is an increase compared to deaths recorded during the same period in 2023 which stood at 537.
Pedestrians lead in fatalities with 216, compared with 163 recorded last year followed by passengers who recorded 109 deaths which is 11 more compared to those recorded in 2023.
