One person died while 23 others sustained serious injuries after two vehicles burst into flames on the Mombasa road.
Machakos County police boss Joseph Ole Napeiyan said a passenger bus and a Toyota Hilux car were involved in a head-on collision before they burst into flames on Friday.
The accident, according to Napeiyan, occurred along Nairobi – Mombasa highway near the Shell filling station, a few metres from Maanzoni Lodge in Athi River, Machakos County at about 1.00 am.
The incident was reported to Kyumbi police station at Makutano Junction, Machakos County.
Napeiyan said the man who died was the driver of the Toyota Hilux while the injured persons were passengers aboard the bus.
The deceased wasn’t immediately identified.
“The Toyota Hilux which was heading towards Nairobi direction collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle,” Napeiyan told the Star on Friday.
He said as a result, the driver was trapped inside the pickup which burst into flames. He was burnt beyond recognition.
“The bus driver and the passengers were injured after the vehicles burst into flames. The fire was put out by a fire brigade team from the Machakos County government,” Napeiyan said.
The police boss said all the injured persons were rushed to Machakos Level 5 hospital and are undergoing treatment while the deceased was taken to the facility’s mortuary awaiting an autopsy and identification.
The wreckages were towed to Kyumbi police station for inspection.
Napeiyan said officers from Kyumbi police station’s traffic department had launched investigations into the accident.
He cautioned motorists against flouting traffic rules to curb accident cases.
Kindiki orders evacuation of 200 families downstream Kijabe by 6 PM