At least 22 people have been killed and 24 others injured after a bus carrying churchgoers returning from a funeral collided with a lorry on a major highway in Kenya on Sunday.
Officials warned that the death toll could rise following the crash, which occurred as the passengers were travelling home to the coastal city of Mombasa from the funeral of their church pastor in western Kenya.
Hospital official Paul Kisienya confirmed that at least 24 people had been injured, while Makueni County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif warned that the number of fatalities could increase.
The crash happened between 7am and 8am, according to hospital superintendent Dr Kevin Wamalwa, who described it as a serious accident.
Passenger Spenza Mudave said a lorry struck the bus from behind, causing the packed vehicle to roll over.
Another passenger, Violet Mwandonyi, a mother of two, said she had been travelling with her children and was still unsure whether they had survived.
“The last thing I remember is that we were all wailing and calling on motorists to come to our rescue,” she said.
“I don’t know the fate of my two children who were on the bus.”
Emergency responders rushed to the scene as photographs showed the wreckage lying beside the highway, with part of the bus torn away.
Cause Of Crash Under Investigation
Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority said the collision may have involved improper overtaking, although the exact circumstances remain unclear.
The authority said preliminary information indicated that the two vehicles had collided head-on and described the stretch of road as an accident black spot.
It added that recommendations had previously been made to address safety concerns along the route.
Poor road conditions and speeding have also been identified as contributing factors in road accidents across Kenya.
The latest tragedy comes just weeks after another collision involving four vehicles in the same area killed 17 people. The earlier crash involved a van carrying pilgrims, with brake failure believed to have contributed to the incident, according to the Federal Road Safety Commission.
