At least one person is feared dead following a road accident involving a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) bus at Matsangoni along the Mombasa-Malindi highway.
Preliminary reports indicate that several passengers have been injured in the accident involving the bus operating under BUSCAR which was heading towards Malindi from the Kilifi direction.
It was reported that the accident happened when the bus which was ferrying passengers from Nairobi skidded and overturned along the busy highway.
Photos seen by The Kenya Times showed the overturned bus with first responders at the scene.
By the time of publishing, it was not clear how many occupants were in the bus during the incident, and the extent of injuries they sustained.
A rescue team was quickly dispatched to the scene, which in turn helped to evacuate the victims trapped inside the wreckage following the accident.
Buscar Accident Along Malindi Highway Among Recent Bus Accidents
Other photos on the other hand showed a police vehicle at the scene as well-wishers helped rush the victims to the hospital for medication.
Also Read: Passenger Bus Burns Down Along Mombasa-Nairobi Highway
The cause of the accident is yet to be established. Notably, the Buscar bus accident is among road crashes involving PSV buses which have been reported within the last one month that have left behind casualties and fatalities.
On August 20, a 56-seater Coast Bus Limited bus was involved a tragic accident at the Migaa blackspot in Molo along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway claiming the lives of thirteen people.
Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Jasper Ombati, who visited the scene, reported that the early morning incident involved the bus and a saloon car.
In the incident that happened around 5a.m near the magic wall that was constructed to prevent accidents along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway, 55 others were injured.
Simba Coach Bus Accident
Barely four days later, one person was confirmed dead while several others were left injured following in road accident involving a Simba Coach bus at the same Migaa blackspot.
Police confirmed that one person died following the accident which severely affected traffic along the busy highway.
In a statement, Kenya Red Cross on Saturday, August 24 said that the road accident happened at the Twin Bridge in Molo, Nakuru County.
At the time, the Kenya Red Cross said that at least 44 people had been injured with 14 rushed to the hospital for further treatment.
“Following a road traffic incident at the Twin Bridge in Molo, Nakuru County, 44 people have been injured. 14 have been taken to Molo Sub County Hospital and 30 have been treated at the scene. Search and rescue efforts for those feared trapped are ongoing,” read part of the statement.
As of August 27, 2024, data from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) revealed that more than 3,000 people have died on Kenyan roads since the beginning of the year.
NTSA Data on Road Crashes in 2024
According to the latest data from NTSA, between January 1 and August 27, 2024, road accidents across the country have claimed at least 3,056 lives, an increase of 146 deaths compared to the 2,910 recorded in the same period in 2023.
“Since the year started 7,114 Kenyans have been involved in road accidents, marking an increase of 703 compared to last year, 3674 were seriously injured and 585 suffered from minor injuries,” NTSA said.
Also Read: Accident Alert: Casualties Reported After Accident Involving Matatu and Personal Car
Pedestrians have recorded the highest number of deaths in road accidents since the start of the year, according to the Authority.
The NTSA data shows pedestrians continue to bear the brunt of road slaughter with a 15 percent increase to 1,177 compared to 1,044 who lost their lives by the same date last year.
Similarly, the number of passengers killed increased by 15 per cent, with at least 595 passengers losing their lives in road crashes, compared to 519 in 2023.
The data, however, showed a slight decrease in deaths involving motorcyclists which stood at 710 compared to 756 recorded same period in 2023.
262 drivers also lost their lives, a decrease of 260 compared to the same period last year. On the other hand, Pillion passengers recorded 259 deaths compared to 269 witnessed last year, while the number of pedal cyclists also decreased to 53 compared to 60 recorded last year.
The latest data comes as the country witnesses a resurgence in fatal and serious injury road accidents across the country.
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