Londiani accident: Survivors narrate details of horrific ordeal

Survivors of the Friday evening accident at Londiani Junction Market that has so far claimed 52 lives have narrated their ordeal from their beds in different hospitals in Nakuru and Kericho counties.

Peter Kigen, a resident of Molo who was heading home from Kericho when the car he was travelling in was knocked by the fateful truck, said he saw the lorry speeding towards them before blacking out only to wake up in a hospital bed more than three hours later.

He said the driver of the vehicle he was travelling in had stopped at the junction to pick up and drop off passengers at about 6:00pm.

“My relatives tell me that I was first taken to Londiani Sub-County hospital before being transferred to the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital in Nakuru City where I regained consciousness,” said who suffered several fractures.

He said he was still experiencing excruciating pains in the chest to which medics at the hospital recommended an X-ray for further analysis.

He was hopeful that if all went well, he would be discharged on Monday and glad that he survived an accident that killed so many people.

Sara Ndali who was on her way from Kericho to Nakuru is another survivor who escaped death by a whisker.

“We had stopped at the junction to be changed onto another vehicle because the vehicle I was in altered its destination towards Molo town,” she said.

She narrated hearing a loud sound and seeing several vehicles being swept by a speeding truck which was coming from the opposite direction.

“I just found myself on the ground surrounded by bodies and debris from the vehicles and produce from the roadside market stalls,” she said.

Ndali was also taken to Londiani Sub-County Hospital by well-wishers before being referred to Nakuru PGH where she is receiving specialised treatment.

“I do not know what happened to my leg, it looks like it was torn open and I do not know when I will be discharged because the damage to my leg was extensive,” she said.

Nakuru County Executive Committee Member for Health, Jacqueline Osoro said all the nine people still at the provincial hospital were in steady condition while the rest were treated and discharged.

She said another one who had been admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit succumbed to the injuries.

Osoro said Nakuru Government waived all the medical bills incurred by the survivors adding that the hospital was still open to receive other referrals.

The Accident occurred on Friday evening at Londiani along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway when the truck driver lost control of his vehicle as he tried to avoid ramming into a stationary bus.

Eyewitnesses say the truck which has a Rwandan registration number plate ploughed in eight vehicles among them matatus, personal vehicles and a motorbike.