Four Chinese injured in highway crash

Four Chinese nationals were critically injured in a road accident along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway Sunday morning.

The crash that involved a saloon car carrying five passengers and a lorry occurred near Kyumbi.

The four and their driver, who escaped with minor injuries, were travelling in the saloon car.

A witness said the two vehicles collided head-on before they rolled several times.

The four and their driver were taken to Machakos Level Five Hospital where the driver, also a Chinese national, was treated and discharged.

The four were later transferred to a Nairobi hospital for specialised treatment.

Doctors at the hospital said two of the injured suffered multiple leg fractures. The fate of the occupants of the lorry could not be immediately established.

Road blocks

A large crowd of curious onlookers jammed the casualty department adjacent to the Machakos-Wote road for a glance at the victims who were brought in by ambulances.

The victims were said to have been heading to Mombasa for a holiday. This is the second accident on the same road in less than 24 hours.

On Saturday morning, five people died at Salama, just a few kilometres from the scene of Sunday's accident.

A survey by The Standard Sunday established that public service vehicles plying the route were flouting traffic rules with impunity despite the presence of police at numerous road blocks

According to the survey, common offences included overloading and speeding.