Ten people have died following a grisly road accident along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway at the Iguhu Bridge on Wednesday evening.
A tanker heading towards Kakamega is said to have lost control and rammed into two 14-seater matatus that were going to Chavakali.
Scores of passengers were injured in the accident and were rushed to Vihiga County Referral Hospital and Kakamega County Referral Hospital where they are receiving treatment.
The police reports indicated that the accident occurred at about 6 pm.
The driver of the tanker reportedly fled the scene after the accident.
The lorry is said to have hit a bump, lost control and veered to the right side of the road.
“Due to the impact, 10 people died on the spot and 20 people were injured,” the police report said.
The bodies were removed to Kakamega County General and Referral Hospital Morgue to await identification and post-moterm.
“Efforts to trace the driver are in progress,” the report reads in part.
In September, police expressed concern over the rising number of accidents and urged the public to adhere to traffic regulations to prevent further loss of life.
Kenyans were asked to prioritise road safety and ensure compliance with all traffic rules to curb the escalating fatalities. The appeal followed a report that showed 3,369 people lost their lives in road accidents between January and September 16, 2024.
Data from the National Police Service noted that 1,281 of the fatalities were pedestrians, followed by 825 motorcycles, 654 passengers, and 281 drivers.
The data also reveals that a total of 16,979 people were affected by road accidents in the first nine months of 2024. The figures mark a slight increase in road fatalities compared to the same period last year when 3,151 people died in traffic accidents.
Road traffic accidents have been seen to impose a growing burden on public health services in the country. Over the past 10 years, traffic-related fatalities increased by 43 per cent and the average is 59 deaths per 10,000 vehicles per year.
