A bus from a prestigious Kenyan university crashed into a truck on a crowded road during heavy rain, causing the deaths of 11 students and serious injuries to 42 others, according to police.
The crash happened at 5:50 pm (1450 GMT) on Monday at Maungu, 360 kilometers (220 miles) from Nairobi. The students from Kenyatta University were headed to the coastal town of Mombasa.
Ten university students died instantly, and another passed away later in the hospital. The police reported that 42 people sustained serious injuries.
The police report stated, "The university bus driver was overtaking a line of vehicles during heavy rain, causing the bus to skid off the road to the right side."
The report also mentioned, "This caused the truck driver to swerve to avoid a head-on collision, resulting in a collision with the left side of the university bus."
The bus was carrying 58 people on an educational trip.
The injured individuals were transported to a hospital in the nearby town of Voi, as reported by the Kenyan Red Cross on X, previously known as Twitter.
Kenyatta University expressed deep sorrow over the accident and established a help desk at the main campus to provide support during this difficult time.
The university stated, "Some of the injured students are currently being evaluated for potential transfer to Nairobi."
Road accidents are frequent in the East African country, where road conditions are often inadequate and traffic rules are disregarded.
According to data from the National Transport and Safety Authority, 4,324 individuals lost their lives and 18,561 were injured in road accidents in Kenya in 2023, marking a 7.8 percent decrease from the previous year.
However, the beginning of 2024 saw a rise in fatalities, with 536 deaths occurring between January 1 and February 11, a 5% increase from the same period last year.
The most notable incident involved the death of 24-year-old world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum on February 11.
Five individuals lost their lives and 18 others were injured on Tuesday when their van collided with a tractor in western Kenya.
Last Saturday, a high school student and a teacher died when their bus, carrying 63 people, veered off the road and rolled down a slope multiple times.
AFP
