Babatunji Wusu –
Following a collision between a truck and a bus transporting students from a prominent Kenyan university on Monday, March 18, no fewer than eleven pupils are said to have perished.
According to a police report cited by AFP, the bus slipped in the pouring rain, resulting in the tragic accident that occurred on a major highway.
The traffic accident claimed the lives of 11 pupils and seriously injured 42 others.
Maungu, the scene of the tragedy, is situated 360 kilometers (220 miles) away from Nairobi, the nation’s capital.
At the time of the accident, the Kenyatta University students were traveling to Mombasa, a seaside town. Ten of the eleven people who died were university employees, while one died in the hospital after a prolonged illness.
Furthermore, 42 persons with serious injuries were confirmed by the authorities.
The police report said, “The driver of (the) university bus was overtaking a fleet of motor vehicles, and as it was raining heavily, the bus skidded to the right side of the road.”
It added that this “prompted the truck driver to avoid a head-on collision, hence hitting the left side of the university bus.”
Information was received indicating the 58 people were part of a class vacation when the bus they were riding in had an accident.
The Kenyan Red Cross announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the injured people were taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Voi without delay.
Kenyatta University said on Tuesday that they had opened a support center at their main campus to provide assistance during this trying time, expressing their deep sadness.
The university added that some of the injured students were being assessed in case they needed to be evacuated to Nairobi.