Nine pupils from St Gabriel primary school in Mwingi died on Saturday night while 32 others sustained multiple injuries when their school bus collided head on with a lorry at Kanginga area, about two kilometres from Mwingi town. Following the crash that happened at around 11pm, the school bus lost control, overturned and fell into Kanginga River.

Some of the pupils were hurled outside the ill-fated vehicle where some died while others suffered multiple injuries. The injured were immediately rescued and rushed to Mwingi Level Four Hospital, six of them in critical condition. The bodies of the deceased were removed to the hospital’s mortuary. Confirming the accident, Mwingi Central OCPD John Nyamu said that the pupils were travelling in a hired bus belonging to Nguutani Secondary School from a trip in Mombasa.

The OCPD said that at the time of the accident, the bus had 44 passengers, among them 40 pupils, three teachers and a matron. Six pupils had been dropped home just before the accident. Two teachers were treated for minor injuries and discharged while the driver of the bus was also admitted at the hospital.