Three dead after matatu ferrying KU students to the Coast overturns
The scene of the road crash near Machinery Township along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.
What you need to know:
- The matatu was trying to avoid hitting a man who was crossing the road when it ploughed through a guardrail.
- The passengers were part of a team of students who had raised Sh4,900 each to tour various sites at the Coast.
A trip which started on a high note for a team of Kenyatta University students ended in tragedy after three of them died on the spot Friday afternoon when the matatu they were travelling in overturned near Machinery Township along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.
According to students who survived the accident, the matatu christened Machete was heading to Mombasa when the accident occurred.
Chyullu Assistant County Commissioner William Tonui said the matatu was trying to avoid hitting a man who was crossing the road when it ploughed through a guardrail and plunged into a bridge after the driver lost control of the vehicle.
“Three people died on the spot. Six others sustained injuries and were rushed to Kambu and Kibwezi Sub-County Referral hospitals,” Mr Tonui told the Daily Nation.
His statement corroborated a report shared by Evans Peter, the coordinator of the Kenya Red Cross in Makueni County.
At the scene of the accident, it took the combined efforts of volunteers, Kenya Red Cross personnel and emergency response teams from the Makueni County government to rescue survivors from the overturned vehicle.
Bodies of the victims were taken to Kambu Sub-County Hospital mortuary.
The Daily Nation has established that the passengers were part of a team of Kenyatta University students who had raised Sh4,900 each to tour various sites at the Coast.
The group left Nairobi at 5:30 in the morning. The plan was to spend the night at Mtwapa Township in Kilifi County before proceeding to Watamu, Mambrui, and Mombasa for sightseeing and partying over the weekend.
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