Nine people die as matatu rams into lorry and bursts into flames

Police and members of the public view the mangled wreck of a Nissan Matatu belonging to Transline Sacco that was involved in an accident that killed nine people at Satellite area along the Mai Mahiu- Narok highway. The Matatu burst into flames killing the nine on the spot while the driver fled after the grisly road accident. Photo by Antony Gitonga/Standard]

Nine people were burnt to death when a 14-seater matatu they were travelling in was involved in an accident and then caught fire along the Mai Mahiu-Narok Road.

Five other passengers were left fighting for their lives after the matatu rammed into the rear of a stalled lorry before bursting into flames.

The Friday night accident at Satellite centre a few kilometres from Mai Mahiu town paralysed traffic flow on the busy road as residents moved in to rescue those trapped.

The fate of the driver of the ill-fated matatu was unclear as police helped retrieve the charred remains of the passengers. At one time, residents had to watch from a distance due to the intensity of the fire as the victims screamed for help.

According to Peter Mwathi, a resident, the lorry ferrying sand developed a mechanical problem the previous evening and stalled by the side of the road.

He said the driver of the Transline matatu heading to Narok from Nairobi, failed to notice the lorry and smashed into its rear.

“There was a loud bang after which the matatu burst into flames, killing five people on the spot while the other four died on the way to hospital,” he said.

Mr Mwathi added that the surviving passengers were seriously burnt, while no one from the lorry was injured. “Passengers that were seated at the front were the most affected after they got trapped in the wreckage, while those at the back were rescued but with serious burns,” he said.

Naivasha Sub-county Commissioner Isaac Masinde said the injured were admitted to Kijabe Mission Hospital.

The commissioner said police had started investigations. “Initial investigations indicate that the driver of the matatu was speeding and thus failed to see the stalled lorry, running into its back,” he said.

The Superintendent in charge of Naivasha Sub-county Hospital Dr Joseph Mburu said the bodies had been taken to the mortuary.

“The nine bodies, some of which were burnt beyond recognition have been taken to the area mortuary,” he said on phone.

A medical officer from the hospital termed the condition of those admitted as serious. “The injured ones are in serious but stable condition, with three of them suffering from over 50 per cent burns,” he said.