At least 23 people were killed and 20 injured when a bus and tractor-trailer collided near Kenya’s southern port of Mombasa, police and hospital officials said on Tuesday.
The vehicles, which were travelling in the same direction along the main road from Nairobi to Mombasa, crashed at around 4am (1am GMT) near the Wangala trading post, about 120km northwest of Mombasa, they said.
”Fourteen people died on the spot and four others died while receiving treatment at a nearby hospital,” said provincial police commander Simon Gatiba.
A medical official at the nearby Voi District Hospital said later the death toll had climbed to 23 with 20 others being treated for injuries.
”Now we have 23 dead from the accident,” said hospital administrator Anderson Mutondwe.
”About 10 have been transfered for advanced to treatment in Nairobi,” Mutondwe added.
”They are suffering from fractured limbs, head injuries among others,” he said, adding that the hospital had called in its entire staff to deal with the casualties but that additional help was needed.
”We have mobilised all our staff, even those who were on leave and off-duty, but still we cannot cope with the emergency,” Mutondwe said.
”We are expecting assistance from [Nairobi’s] Kenyatta National hospital and [Mombasa’s] Coast General hospital.”
Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, who has been criticised for an allegedly slow response to two recent tragedies involving mass fatalities, rapidly sent a message of condolence and urged motorists to respect traffic rules.
”As we mourn the departed, I urge commuters to also take responsibility in ensuring safety in our roads,” Kibaki said in a statement issued by his office within hours of the accident.
”Commuters have a role to play in reporting drivers who disobey traffic rules,” he said.
Police on the scene, which was littered with shoes, clothing, bananas, maize and sugar cane, said the driver of bus had been trying to overtake the lorry when an oncoming pickup forced him to swerve back into the truck causing the accident.
They said the bus — with a capacity of 62 — was carrying 53 passengers from the western Kenya town of Migori and occupants of the truck were not injured. Ten passengers emerged from the bus unscathed, they said.
Such accidents are common in the east African nation, where traffic regulations are routinely violated or ignored by drivers and road conditions are often poor. – Sapa-AFP