At least four people have been confirmed dead after a vehicle hit a roadside wall and plunged into a railway track near Dagoretti along Ngong road in Nairobi.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Lang'ata OCPD Benjamin Mwathi, stated that the accident occurred during the morning hours of Sunday, February 20, adding that out of the four, two are foreign nationals.
"Currently, we are speaking to their next of kin so we cannot divulge further details but we will release a full statement thereafter. The accident involved two foreign nationals," he stated.
According to pictures circulating on social media, police vehicles and a crane had arrived at the scene in a bid to tow the wreckage and control traffic flow.
Witnesses at the scene intimated to the media that the vehicle was heading to Nairobi before the driver lost control and hit a railway bridge wall before crushing beneath the railway tracks.
"In total, six people- three men and three women, were pulled out of the vehicle. A man and a woman were pulled out of the boot, but only after the vehicle had been removed from the ditch. One of the men was a foreigner, and I figure they were couples," an eyewitness stated.
A section of motorists who ply the route took to social media to rant about the state of the road, faulting the Kenya Urban Roads Authority(KURA) for not placing road signs between Junction Mall to Lenana.
They called upon action to be taken in order to prevent further accidents and loss of lives around the area seen by many as a black spot.
“The contractors should have built the flyover close to the bridge wall. That way, there wouldn’t be any space left for a car or motorcycle to fall, and lives can be spared,” another resident pointed out.
According to the latest report from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the number of road accidents fatalities jumped from 3,707 in 2020 to 4,347 in 2021.
Nairobi led with 495 cases, followed by Kiambu (425), Machakos (205), Meru (158) and Murang'a recorded 150 fatalities.
Government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna, during the release of the report, urged drivers to get sufficient hours of sleep, especially those on long distance assignments.
“All motorists and passengers are advised to plan their journeys to avoid inconveniences or speeding. Drivers are encouraged to take sufficient rest adhering to the maximum eight (8) hours of driving on long journeys,” he pointed out.
