Cases of road accidents during the festive season have been on the rise in many parts of the Republic of Kenya.
In the most recent incident, at least 8 people have been confirmed dead following a tragic road accident involving a passenger bus and a shuttle along Mombasa Road near Konza City in Machakos County.
The accident occurred on the morning of Saturday, January 3, when a Tahmeed bus collided with a Naekana Shuttle that was travelling from Nairobi towards Loitoktok.
Police reports indicate that the shuttle attempted to overtake a lorry before crashing head-on into the oncoming bus, leading to a high-impact collision.
Authorities reported that 6 passengers died instantly at the scene due to the severity of the crash, while 2 others succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at Machakos Level 5 Hospital.
A total of 11 passengers sustained injuries of varying severity and were rushed to nearby health facilities for medical attention.
The crash left the Naekana Shuttle extensively damaged, with its front section completely crushed, the windscreen shattered and parts of the roof caved in.
The vehicle veered off the road after the impact as debris and twisted metal littered the scene.
The Tahmeed bus also sustained damage to its front section and was pushed off the roadway onto uneven ground.
Machakos County emergency response teams were deployed to the scene to assist with rescue operations and to ferry the injured to hospital.
Traffic along the busy highway was temporarily disrupted as police officers and rescue teams worked to clear the wreckage.
Police have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident as renewed calls are made for motorists to exercise caution along the busy Mombasa Road corridor.
