The wreckage of the bus which collided with a lorry on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, killing 28 people on Sunday night. Photo/MOHAMED DAHIR
By MUCHEMI WACHIRA and JOHN KISUPosted Monday, January 19 2009 at 21:32
Police were on Monday seeking witnesses to a horrific road accident on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway in which 28 people died.
Another 24 people were injured in the 1am accident, which occurred on a bridge at Machinery market.
Police blamed speeding for the head-on collision between a bus travelling from Mombasa to Nairobi and a lorry heading in the opposite direction.
The bus, which belongs to Smash Company, and the lorry were reduced to wrecks. It was a miracle that one of the 24 survivors escaped unhurt even though he was taken to hospital for check-up.
Traffic Commandant James Adoli described the accident as the worst road tragedy this year.
He said the cause of the accident could not be immediately established because of the time it occurred. However, police officers had been dispatched to Mombasa to question motorists who may have witnessed the accident to provide details.
President Kibaki and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi sent condolences to the families of those who died in the accident and the survivors and urged traffic police to take immediate action to avoid recurrence of the accidents.
A 15-year-old survivor of the of the accident was on Monday looking for his mother and five siblings who were on the bus.
Kelvin Ngala, who said he was travelling to Nairobi to secure a transfer to a school in Nanyuki, could not immediately tell where his mother, four brothers and a sister were several hours after the accident.
“I don’t know where they are. Since I was brought here at the hospital, I have not seen them,” he said from his bed at the Makindu District Hospital where he was recovering from a hand injury.
In a statement sent to newsrooms by the Presidential Press Services, President Kibaki said: “We have lost not only our loved ones but also valuable contribution to nation building.”
Of the 51 passengers, 26 died on the spot while three people who were in the lorry, including its driver, were killed in the incident. The driver of the bus was also among those who died.
Survivors of the accident were admitted at the Makindu District Hospital while bodies of those who perished were taken to a mortuary at the same hospital.
Five survivors who were critically injured were referred to the Kenyatta National Hospital for specialized treatment while another was moved to Machakos District Hospital.
People at the scene of the accident said the lorry was overtaking another vehicle when it collided with the bus. Some of the survivors who were receiving treatment at the Makindu Hospital said the bus was speeding when the accident occurred.
Said Mr Benson Karani: “We tried to tell the driver to stop speeding but eventually we fell asleep”.
He said he was awakened by a loud bang as the bus was rolling after colliding with the lorry.
Wishing the survivors quick recovery, President Kibaki regretted that in spite of the traffic rules in place, the country continues to witness loss of lives through road accidents.
He directed the traffic police to be extra vigilant in their work of ensuring strict adherence to traffic regulations. He also urged commuters to be involved in ensuring road safety by obeying traffic regulations and by reporting drivers who disobey traffic rules.
And Mr Mudavadi urged drivers to exercise caution while on the roads. “We would not be losing so many lives on the road if our drivers exercised caution.”
Four students were among the 26 survivors.
Hussein Mwahui 20 and Abdallah Mwameri 18, are both students at Evalyn High School in Naivasha. The two said they were travelling to school from Kwale when the accident occurred. They received minor injuries.
The fourth students Elizabeth Mwero 15, said she was travelling from Kinango to St Claire Secondary School in Naivasha. The Form One student suffered head injuries, but the doctors said her condition was not serious.
Students
It was the same case with the three other students whom the doctors said are expected to recover any time. Since they did not sustain serious injuries.
Mr Alfred Magumbua 50 and Hussein Karan 45, are both traders in Mombasa, but they were going to Nairobi to buys goods for their businesses when the accident occurred.
The two where among those who were critically injured. “I have been operating along this route for several years, but I have never encountered such a bad accident. Magumbua who is recovering from a broken rib and head fracture said.
His friends Karan who suffered a big cut on the face could hardly speak as he was in pain.
Another trader Mr Simon Muicho 52, who said he has been operating between Mombasa and Nyahururu, suffered back and neck injuries.
Mr Karani 30, was among the lucky few who did not suffer serious injuries during the accident that left 28 people dead. He was going back home to Meru after visiting a friend in Mombasa.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/517052/-/u1bo5t/-/index.html
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