Eight die in accident along the Katitu-Kendu Bay road

Four students were among eight people who perished in a road accident involving a matatu at Sangoro, Maembe Mbili Centre in Kisumu County.

The eight died on the spot Monday when the driver lost control of the matatu and it veered off the road and rolled severally before landing in a ditch along the Katito-Kendu Bay road.

Ahero girls

Two girls were students at Ahero Girls in Kisumu County and Rang'ala Girls in Siaya County, while the boy was from Chulaimbo secondary.

The other was a Fourth Year student from Egerton University according to school documents found at the scene by The Standard.

The eight bodies were taken to Pap Onditi District Hospital Mortuary awaiting identification while the wreckage was towed to Kisumu Central Police Station.

Two other students and two adults were also rushed to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu under critical condition to undergo specialized treatment.

The two students are believed to have been learning at Usenge Boys High School in Siaya County and a school in Uasin Gishu County.

Serious injuries

Daniel Oyoo, the Clinical Officer in charge of Pap Onditi District Hospital said those referred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referal Hospital had serious injuries which could not be handled at the hospital.

He said one of them, a student, had severe injuries on the head, which was bleeding at the point of his arrival to the hospital while one had sustained spinal cord injury.

"We have taken the initiative to transfer them immediately because their condition needed faster response. We hope the specialized examinations at Jaramogi will reveal the exact extent of injuries but what we can confirm is that two of them were very bad while two are a little manageable," said Oyoo.

The accident, which occurred at 1.30pm spared the lives of three people, a student at Ahero Girls and two adults, who left with minor injuries. They were treated at Pap Onditi District Hospital before being discharged.

Minutes after the accident, residents of the area poured at the scene to curse what they termed the worst accident to have ever happened in the area.

There were pools of blood in various points around the scene, an indication that the victims had been thrown through out of the vehicle as it rolled.

Full capacity

County Traffic Commandant Joshua Omukata who visited the scene confirmed the statistics of the accident victims. He said the driver was among those who perished in the accident.