Eight killed, 28 injured in grisly Nairobi-Mombasa highway crash
Eight people were killed on the spot and 28 others injured following a horrific road accident along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway near the ACK area in Mukaa Sub-county last night.
The accident, which occurred at around 10 p.m., involved a Mercedes-Benz Axor truck and a public service vehicle (PSV) minibus operating as a Rembo Shuttle.
According to police reports, the truck, registration number KBJ 504S/ZE, was being driven towards Mombasa by 55-year-old Willy Nzeki Ngei when it allegedly lost control, veered into the opposite lane and collided head-on with the oncoming minibus, registration number KDW 226B, which was travelling towards Nairobi.
Mukaa Sub-County Police Commander Abduba Hussein confirmed the incident on Monday, saying the impact of the collision was devastating.
“As a result of the crash, the minibus driver, Geoffrey Chirchir, and seven passengers died on the spot,” Hussein said.
The deceased included four adult men and three adult women whose identities had not been immediately established by today morning.
The truck driver sustained fractures to his left hand and suffered head injuries. He was among those receiving treatment following the accident.
Twenty-eight passengers travelling in the minibus suffered injuries of varying severity and were rushed to Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital for emergency medical attention.
The bodies of the eight victims were moved to the mortuary at Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital, where they are awaiting identification by relatives and post-mortem examinations.
Police officers, emergency responders and rescue teams worked through the night to clear the wreckage from the busy highway and restore normal traffic flow.
The damaged vehicles were later towed to Salama Police Station for inspection.
Authorities have launched investigations to establish the exact cause of the crash, although preliminary findings indicate the truck may have veered from its lane before the fatal head-on collision.
