Several casualties have been reported following an accident involving a passenger train in Kajiado County which happened on Tuesday July 9, 2024.
The accident which is reported to have occurred near Tata Chemicals plant in Kajiado area, happened after the train derailed and fell of a bridge.
Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku said that the passenger train was plying the Magadi- Kajiado town route before it derailed and fell off a bridge near KMQ shopping center in Iloodokilani Ward.
Photos seen by The Kenya Times showed part of the train in a ditch as witnesses gathered around to help the casualties.
Preliminary reports by witnesses at the scene indicated that the accident left at least one dead and others critically injured the passenger train derailed.
St John Ambulance Kenya in an earlier update had announced that emergency response teams had been deployed to the area to help victims of the accident.
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“ACCIDENT ALERT: A passenger train has derailed in Kajiado near Tata Chemicals – Kajiado Plant. Casualties reported. Emergency response teams currently heading to the scene. More details to follow,” said St John Ambulance.
Kajiado Train Accident
Governor Ole Lenku while confirming the accident sent his heartfelt message to passengers involved in the accident, asking Kenyans to pray for all those caught up in this incident.
“Sad that a passenger train plying the Magadi- Kajiado town route derailed and fell off a bridge near KMQ shopping centre in Iloodokilani Ward. As a joint rescue team continues to swiftly respond to this unfortunate accident, let us pray for the safety of all the passengers who were on board.
Kajiado Referral Hospital superintendent Fred Ayani, while speaking to the press said that the injured were treated at the Mile 46 dispensary before being transferred to the health facility for specialized treatment.
According to the superintendent the number of casualties is 46, with one confirmed fatality who was positively identified and whose body is being preserved at the hospital morgue.
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Also, 10 other patients who are in a critical state from multiple fractures have been referred to Kenyatta National Hospital.
The train involved in the accident is managed by Tata Chemicals Magadi, which operates a cargo train that transports trona from Magadi to its depot in Kajiado town before being transported to Mombasa for export.
The commuter train services initiative was initiated to ease the transport challenges of passengers in villages in the remote Kajiado West Sub- County and is the only available public means of transport which charges Ksh70 for a distance of approximately 135 kilometers.
Railway Damage
This incident comes following massive destruction of railway infrastructure caused by the floods in April this year.
The flash floods which killed close to 70 people also destroyed the and paralysed movement of goods between Mombasa and Malaba as well as neighboring countries that depend on the railway.
Ministry of Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen in May said it will cost the country about Ksh.1 billion to repair the damage on the railway
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