British soldiers and Kenyan driver injured in Nakuru accident

NAKURU: Ten British soldiers and their Kenyan driver escaped death narrowly after their vehicle was involved in a grisly road accident in Naivasha town.

During the Sunday morning accident along Mama Ngina Street, three of the soldiers were seriously injured after the car rammed an electricity pole.

The vehicle rolled several times and crashed into a nearby building in the 3am incident as the public moved in to rescue the injured officers.

The soldiers had been making merry in one of the nearby night clubs and were on their way to their hotel when the vehicle allegedly developed a mechanical problem.

The incident caused anxiety in the  town when a military helicopter was sent to ferry the injured officers to Nairobi.

For over an hour, the low-flying plane hovered around various estates as it made several attempts to land in the darkness, waking up area residents.

STABLE CONDITION

Finally, the plane landed at around 4am at Naivasha Boys Secondary School.

The soldiers were airlifted to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.

Amos Mburu, a tax driver, said the accident occurred after the driver lost control.

"The driver was going downhill at around 3am when the vehicle veered off the road and hit the pole before rolling several time and crushing into a building," Mr Mburu said.

Mburu, who was involved in the rescue, said the injured soldiers had deep cuts on the head and were rushed to nearby Naivasha sub-county referral hospital.

Joseph Mburu, the superintendent in charge of the hospital, confirmed the soldiers were treated at the facility before they were airlifted.

Mburu said the soldiers were in a stable condition and majority were suffering from tissue injuries, apart from three who were in serious condition.

A senior police officer who declined to be named confirmed the accident.