Four people have been burned to death after a tanker rammed into four vehicles including a mini-matatu before exploding at Mukhonje shopping center along Webuye-Eldoret highway, Lugari constituency Kakamega county.
The victims of the accident, who are yet to be identified, sustained severe burns. Their bodies lay a short distance from the tanker which had been engulfed in flames in the 4 pm accident in Lugari sub-county.
Two other vehicles, a Probox salon and a fuel truck. caught fire and were reduced to shells in the inferno that took firefighters from Uasin Gishu County more than two hours to contain.
Here are the graphic images as shared to Kenyanbulletin by a source
The firefighters arrived at the scene after 2 hours and were busy looking for bodies in the rubble after it was feared the passengers in the matatu had been burnt to death.
Kakamega County Commander Mr Hassan Barua said four people had perished in the accident while seven others were injured.
Six of the injured were rushed to the Webuye County Hospital and one was admitted at the Lumakanda sub-county hospital.
Witnesses said the fuel tanker approached the trading centre at high speed and veered off the road after the driver lost control of the vehicle. The tanker then hit the matatu before it crashed into poles supporting a transformer, igniting then fire.
Residents watched helplessly as the fire spread to nearby shops and burnt goods of undetermined value.
Fatal accident at Mukhonje along Eldoret – Webuye highway. An unconfirmed number of people feared dead. The petrol tanker hit a Matatu before bursting into flames. Several shops near the scene currently of fire. @Ma3Route @KenyaRedCross @ntsa_kenya pic.twitter.com/z5MpSm6Qjv
— Hiran Munishi Mugaisi (@hiranmugaisi) August 26, 2021
18:09 ACCIDENT at Mukhonje along Eldoret – Webuye highway. pic.twitter.com/afn3TgrlpZ via @KenAseka
— Ma3Route Counties (@Ma3RouteCounty) August 26, 2021
