Eleven (11) Kenyatta University students died on Monday, March 18 after their school bus was involved in a grisly road accident at Maungu area, Taita Taveta County.
The accident occured when the bus, carrying public health students heading to Mombasa for an academic trip, collided with a trailer belonging to Transeast Limited.
Confirming the incident, Voi Sub-County Police Commander Daffala Ibrahim said 42 students injured from the accident were rushed to Moi County Referral Hospital in Voi.
What caused the accident?
A police report filed at Maungu Police Station says that the accident occurred at around 5:50 pm at Pipeline area along the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway.
The driver of the university bus was overtaking a fleet of motor vehicles, and it was raining heavily at the time.
“The bus skidded to the right side of the road as one faces Mombasa direction, which prompted the driver of the truck to avoid head on collision, hence hitting the left side of the university bus,” the police report reads in part.
10 died on the spot
As a result of the impact, 10 students died on the spot while one succumbed to injuries upon arrival at the Moi County Referral Hospital.
Police have also disclosed that at the time of accident, the university bus had a total of 58 passengers; 54 students, one (1) lab technician, one (1) student chairperson and two (2) drivers.
“They were injured as follows :- (1) 11 fatally injured… (2) 42 seriously injured (3) 4 slightly injured,” the police report adds.
