Police reported that a bus transporting students from a prominent Kenyan university crashed into a truck on a crowded highway after skidding in heavy rain.
Tragically, 11 students lost their lives in the accident, while 42 others sustained serious injuries.
The tragic incident took place at 5:50 pm (2:50 GMT) on Monday in Maungu, located 360 kilometres (220 miles) from the capital Nairobi.
The students, hailing from Kenyatta University, were en route to the coastal town of Mombasa at the time of the accident.
According to police reports, ten individuals lost their lives instantly, with another person succumbing to injuries later in the hospital.
Yet, the onset of 2024 proved to be deadly, with 536 lives lost between January 1 and February 11, representing a five percent increase compared to a similar period last year.
One of the most notable tragedies occurred on February 11, claiming the life of 24-year-old Kelvin Kiptum, the world marathon record holder.
Additionally, 42 individuals sustained severe injuries.
The report indicated that the driver of the university bus attempted to overtake a line of vehicles in heavy rainfall, causing the bus to skid toward the right side of the road.
This maneuver prompted the driver of the truck to swerve to avoid a head-on collision, resulting in a collision with the left side of the university bus.
The bus, which was carrying 58 individuals, tragically met with the accident.
The injured were swiftly transported to a hospital in the nearby town of Voi, as reported by the Kenyan Red Cross, formerly on Twitter.
Road accidents are unfortunately frequent occurrences in the East African nation, where road conditions are frequently subpar and traffic regulations are sometimes disregarded or violated.
According to statistics provided by the National Transport and Safety Authority, in 2023, 4,324 individuals lost their lives, and 18,561 sustained injuries in road accidents in Kenya, marking a 7.8% decrease from the previous year.
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