Several Feared Dead as School Bus Crashes in Taita Taveta

A school bus rolls into a ditch at Josa area along Mwatate-Wundanyi road.
A school bus rolls into a ditch in the Josa area along Mwatate-Wundanyi road on Saturday, November 19, 2022
Sikia Road Safety

Several people were feared dead after a school bus crashed in Taita Taveta county on Saturday, November 19.

The accident occurred at the Josa black spot between Wundayi and Mwatate.

 

According to reports, the bus was carrying teachers from Memon Academy who were travelling from the burial of one of their own in Kidaya.

"There is a bad crash at Taita on Josa black spot involving a Memon school bus (which was carrying adults), people have lost their lives (bodies lying on the ground), rescue ongoing," shared Sikika Road Safety.

Emergency service providers and Taita Taveta residents at Josa black spot between Wundayi and Mwatate where a Memon School bus carrying teachers crashed on Saturday, November 19, 2022.
Emergency service providers and Taita Taveta residents at Josa black spot between Wundayi and Mwatate where a Memon School bus carrying teachers crashed on Saturday, November 19, 2022.
File

As of 9 pm, the number of deaths reported was three.

However, the exact number of casualties was yet to be established but projected to rise. Nonetheless, rescue operations were underway. 

Area residents and emergency service providers were at the scene, helping to save the survivors and remove dead bodies.

Some survivors from the crashed bus were rushed to a nearby county hospital for first aid treatment and admission. 

From the photos shared online, the school bus seemed to have rolled several times into a ditch.

The vehicle's top was severely damaged by the accident that reportedly occurred in the late afternoon.

Mombasa businessman and EALA MP-Elect, Suleiman Shahbal, was among the first politicians to wish the survivors well and to also condole with the families of the deceased. 

"I'm saddened by the reports of an accident involving the Memon Academy bus carrying teachers travelling to attend a funeral. The accident in Taita Taveta County is reported to have led to the loss of some of the teachers on the bus.

"My prayers and that of my wife Rahma go out to the family of the deceased, the injured, and the school management. May Allah rest the departed souls in eternal peace," Shahbal eulogised. 

The cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained at the time of publishing. 

A school bus rolls into a ditch at Josa area along Mwatate-Wundanyi road.
A school bus rolls into a ditch in the Josa area along Mwatate-Wundanyi road on Saturday, November 19, 2022
Sikia Road Safety
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