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15 perish, 7 injured in Mau Summit road horror

Road crash

Rescuers at the scene of the road crash at Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway that claimed the lives of 15 people on January 09, 2023.

Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Media Group

Fifteen people were killed and seven others injured after a bus and a shuttle collided in the small hours of Tuesday at Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit in Nakuru County.

Confirming the crash, Kuresoi North Police sub-County Commander Judah Gathenge on Tuesday said the dead included eight adults and seven children.

Road crash

Rescuers at the scene of the road crash at Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway that claimed the lives of 15 people on January 09, 2023.

Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Media Group

Some of the victims, he said, perished on the spot while others succumbed amid efforts to save their lives.

The ill-fated bus, Gathenge said, was heading towards the Nairobi general direction while the shuttle was ferrying passengers in the opposite direction.

Road crash

The 11-seater matatu that was involved in the crash that killed 15 people at Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway on January 09, 2023.

Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Media Group

The casualties are receiving treatment at the Molo sub-County Hospital while the bodies of the deceased were taken to the facility’s mortuary for preservation.

At least 12 people have lost their lives in accidents along the 15-kilometre Makutano-Timboroa stretch of the Nakuru-Eldoret highway in the past 18 days during the festive season.

Last Thursday, five people, including a police officer, were killed in the Mlango Tatu area along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

The fatal road accident occurred at 1.40am and involved three public service vehicles – an Easy Coach bus, a Promise bus and a Classic matatu – which were travelling towards Nakuru.

Road crash

The scene of the road crash at Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway that claimed the lives of 15 people on January 09, 2023.

Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Media Group

On New Year's Eve, seven people died and several others were injured in a road crash involving a 14-seater matatu and a trailer at Eveready roundabout on the Nakuru-Eldoret road in Nakuru County.

The Twin Bridge area is a known accident blackspot. Other accident black spots dotting the Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret  highway include Ngata-Sobea-Salgaa,Migaa, Karai, where 40 people perished in 2017, Kinungi, Mbaruk, Gilgil and St Mary’s area all along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway.

Road crash

Passengers being evacuated into a police vehicle following the road crash that killed 15 people at Twin Bridge area of Mau Summit along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway on January 09, 2023.

Photo credit: John Njoroge | Nation Med

Others are Gilgil-Nakuru-Kasambara-Kikopey stretch and the Timboroa and Makutano junction - Burnt Forest section.

The busy Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret highway, which is the most important road to Western Kenya region, and the artery that connects Kenya and the landlocked countries of Uganda, Southern Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi, is among the most dangerous roads in the region.

The road is used for transporting cargo from the Port of Mombasa and Nairobi.

John Njoroge and Jimson Ndung'u contributed to this report.