Several rushed to hospital as matatu ferrying passengers overturns

Several passengers escaped death narrowly after the vehicle they were traveling in was involved in a road accident.

The accident which happened on Sunday, September 15, 2024 involved a 14-seater matatu that veered off the road and landed in a ditch by the roadside.

Reports indicate that the speeding vehicle veered off the road and rolled several times at Kambiti along the Nairobi-Embu highway.

Investigations have been launched to establish the cause of the accident in which no casualties were reported.

Photos at the scene showed the vehicle turned upside down with glass scattered on the road.

The mangled wreckage revealed the severity of the crash.

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Pedestrians and other road users were first to arrive at the scene and helped the injured who were rushed to hospital.

Media reports indicate that the matatu was attempting to overtake another vehicle when the driver lost control, veering off the road and landing in a ditch.

The accident is the latest in a worrying trend of fatal crashes with National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) recently released a report revealing a significant rise in road traffic fatalities in Kenya for the year 2024.

NTSA revealed that there have been at least 3,056 road traffic deaths between January 1 and August 27.

This is a notable increase compared to the 2,910 fatalities reported during the same period in 2023.

The NTSA data highlights that 7,114 individuals have been involved in road accidents so far this year, marking a rise of 703 cases compared to the previous year.

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Out of these incidents, 3,674 individuals sustained serious injuries, while 585 others suffered minor injuries.

Pedestrians have been disproportionately affected by the surge in road accidents, with fatalities rising by 15 percent.

This year, 1,177 pedestrians have lost their lives compared to 1,044 by the same date last year.