By JOSEPH MUCHIRI

At least seven people died instantly and scores others were injured when a lorry rammed into a matatu along Embu-Nairobi road a short distance from Embu town.

 The impact of the lorry tossed the matatu about 50 metres from the spot where it was picking customers until it hit a tree which stopped it.

 Police reports however put the number of the dead at two but said they were still receiving briefings from hospitals.

 Eastern Provincial Traffic Enforcement officer Martin Asin said the lorry had been parked at Shell Petrol Station the previous night and in the morning failed to start.

Asin said the driver was assisted by some people to hand start the lorry at around 12.30pm, which then gained momentum because of the steep road but failed to start and thus could not brake.

 “The matatu was picking customers on its way to Nairobi when the lorry rammed it from behind and pushed it some distance away,” said Asin.

 He said it was not clear  the number of people that were in the lorry but added that they arrested the driver and he was being held at the Embu Police Station.

 He said initial investigations showed that the driver could have been driving under the influence of alcohol and they would take him to a doctor to confirm the same and he would then be arraigned in court.

 “We can confirm that two are dead with four seriously injured. We rushed the injured to the Embu Provincial General Hospital but there was a problem because some medical personnel were not there. We took them to several private hospitals,” said Asin.

 He said it was unfortunate that the accident occurred just a day after the Christmas holiday even though police have been trying hard to control the public service vehicles.

 The officer called on drivers to be more careful to avoid careless loss of lives.

 Frida Nyawira, an eye-witness, said she saw seven bodies being removed from the mangled wreck of the matatu.

 Nyawira said a woman who was on the roadside waiting to board a vehicle was hit by the matatu and died on the spot.

 “She tried to run away but unfortunately run in the same direction where the lorry was being pushed,” said Nyawira.

Nyawira said a boy in the matatu had his arm cut by metals and fell to the ground and was among the people rushed to hospital.

 Anthony Muriithi, the conductor of the ill-fated matatu escaped narrowly as he had moved out of the vehicle to pick a customer.

 “I just heard a big sound like a bomb had gone off. On looking, I saw the Nissan tossed in the air as it was pushed by the lorry. I can’t even account for the whereabouts of the driver,” said Mugendi in tears.

 The lorry was said to be transporting animal feeds but its destination could not be immediately established.