LPG Tanker Explodes in the Middle of Busy Highway

An image of several vehicles burned after a truck ferrying gas cylinders caught fire along the Mai Mahiu Road on Sunday, February 13, 2022.
An image of several vehicles burned after a truck ferrying gas cylinders caught fire along the Mai Mahiu Road on Sunday, February 13, 2022.
H. Mugendi

UPDATE: Sunday, February 13, 7.00pm: A new video has emerged showing moments before the truck ferrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded on Sunday, February 13.

The video seen by Kenyans.co.ke shows that the truck had been involved in an accident and had overturned on the road making it impassable.

A crane attempted to lift the tanker to an upright position but its chains snapped causing it to fall and hit the ground 

Clouds of unidentified gas started leaking from the container. On spotting the imminent danger, occupants of the adjacent vehicles alighted and began running for safety.

Below is the video:

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Traffic along the Mai Mahiu Road was paralyzed on Sunday, February 13 after a truck ferrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders exploded near the Mutarakwa area.

Images and videos seen by Kenyans.co.ke showed the truck fully engulfed in fire as huge cloud of smoke billowed into the air.

At least four cars were burnt beyond recognition in the raging inferno. Police officers are yet to establish whether the incident resulted in any casualties. The cause of the explosion is yet to be identified.

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According to reports by eye-witnesses, the fire from the burning truck has spread across the bushes and into homes adjacent to the road.

"We are pleading with the county government and other agencies to come and help put out this fire.  So many houses are burning and there are some people and children trapped in the houses," a witness claimed.

At the time of publication, no fire fighters had been spotted on the scene. In line with the closure if the Maai-Mahiu road, the Kenyan National Highway Authority (KeNHA), has adviced motorists to use 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 the statement in part.

The Mai-Mahiu stretch has become prone to accidents in recent years. In November 2021, four people lost their lives, after four vehicles were involved in a tragic road crash at Ntulele around 7p.m.

Police officers who arrived at the scene stated that  a speeding trailer lost control downhill and collided head on with a lorry before bursting into flames.

Witnesses at the scene reported that several people were trapped in the burning vehicles even as police rushed to the scene to establish the cause of the accident as well as assess the magnitude of the same.

In a similar incident in March 2015, several cars were burnt down in a multiple car crash along the road. This is after an oil tanker rammed into five vehicles before it burst into flames on the accident-prone road.

According to witnesses, the trailer lost control at a bend near the historic Italian Catholic Church. The carnage caused a traffic snarl up, as the road was temporarily closed to prevent loss of lives and damage of property.

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The aftermath of an accident at Ntulele along the Narok-Mai Mahiu highway on Saturday night, November 20, 2021.
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