Simon Siele and Stephen Munyiri
13 October 2008
Nairobi — Thirteen people were killed instantly on Monday when a matatu travelling to Nakuru Town from Nyahururu collided with a lorry.
Twelve of those who died were in the matatu while the other was in the lorry.
The accident occurred at about 3pm near Berea Bible College, about 35km from Nakuru Town.
Bodies of the passengers and their belongings were strewn all over the road when the Nation team arrived at the scene shortly after 5pm.
The accident came hot on the heels of another one on Sunday in which eight people died when two public service vehicles collided at Wote in Makueni District.
In Monday's accident, the matatu driver and conductor survived but were reportedly in serious condition in hospital.
The lorry driver and loader also survived but were not at the scene when the Nation arrived.
Residents told the Nation that it had earlier rained but the road was not very slippery at the time of the accident.
A resident said that four of the dead were teachers travelling to Nakuru from Nyahururu.
Another man said the matatu was new and had been on the road for two weeks.
A matatu driver who called the Nation from the scene said tearfully: "It is terrible! I know some of these people."
Dead on arrival
Elsewhere, a woman died instantly while her two sisters were seriously injured when they were hit by a matatu on the Karatina-Sagana highway on Sunday evening.
Ms Gladys Gathigia died on the way to Karatina District Hospital, where her sisters, Ms Mary Wanjiku and Ms Lucy Wanjiru, were still in hospital on Monday.
A passenger said the speeding matatu was overtaking a truck when the accident occurred.
He said it hit a saloon car before knocking down the three women.
A Catholic priest in the car escaped with minor injuries and was treated and discharged at Consolata Mission Hospital, Mathari, near Nyeri Town.
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