Three men die, several injured in fuel tanker night explosion

Members of the public led by OCS Juakali inspect a fuel tanker that overturned along Eldoret-Webuye Road near Paul Boit High School, Uasin Gishu County. September 18, 2026. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

Three people were confirmed dead, and seven others were placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) following a tragic fuel tanker explosion in Turbo, along the Eldoret-Webuye highway on Thursday night.

They were among 23 people who sustained injuries when the oil tanker that was heading to Western Kenya from Eldoret overturned during a head-on collision with a saloon car near Paul Boit High School in Uasin Gishu County.

Police on Thursday night confirmed that two people had perished instantly at the scene of the 8.30 pm incident, but one more died at the Eldoret-based Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) yesterday morning.

According to the police, the oil tanker exploded as locals tried to siphon fuel that was leaking from it at the scene.

Devastated kin of the victims, who are mostly the youth, expressed shock after they were informed that their sons had sustained burns at the accident scene.

Asha Jerop, whose son died at the MTRH ICU yesterday morning, was called minutes past 8 pm and informed to rush to the scene of the explosion.

“When I arrived at the scene, I was told to join rescue teams in rushing my son to MTRH. I left the hospital at 11 pm as doctors attended to him. Upon my return this morning, I discovered that he was not among those being treated,” said Ms Jerop.

Another resident, only identified as Ms Kosgei, was late in the afternoon still waiting with bated breath for the fate of her son, who was still battling for his life in the ICU.

Ms Kosgei said her brother was among the three who had been confirmed dead.

The fuel tanker that overturned along Eldoret-Webuye Road near Paul Boit High School in Uasin Gishu County. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

“I have been informed by doctors that my son sustained 40 per cent burns. I saw him being wheeled to the ICU. He is not talking and his eyes are not open,” said Ms Kosgei.

The mother went on: “A doctor told me that my son did not recover and that he had died. He worked in a car wash on the highway and I don’t know how he found himself at the scene of the explosion.”

MTRH senior director of clinical services Andrew Wandera said in an update last evening that five more patients needed intensive care.

Wandera said one more patient was brought into the referral facility yesterday, hours after the night explosion.

Hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr Philip Kirwa had said earlier in the day that seven of the over 20 victims were in critical condition after sustaining severe burns during the fuel tanker explosion.

“Four of the seven who sustained severe burns are being stabilised. About five to seven of the victims who suffered minor burns will be discharged today (Friday) and others will be monitored for the next one day or two days,” said Dr Kirwa.

The MTRH CEO said three of those who sustained severe burns are fighting for their lives in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The victims, according to Uasin Gishu Police Commander Wilyberforce Sicharani, had rushed to the scene of an accident involving the oil transport vehicle and a saloon car to siphon fuel when the tanker exploded.

Sicharani said the fuel tanker, which was heading towards Webuye, overturned after a head-on collision with an oncoming saloon car.

The Uasin Gishu police boss said the Canter fuel tanker was transporting petrol and diesel, each in a different compartment.

“Members of the public had rushed to the scene to try to siphon fuel when the tanker exploded. We are yet to establish what exactly caused the explosion, but we think someone might have touched the tanker’s battery,” he said.

Locals said youth who rushed to the scene of the accident to collect fuel had been warned. The driver of the oil truck had walked to a safer distance and was not hurt during the tragedy.

A January 2009 Sachangwan fuel tanker tragedy which happened in Molo along the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway, which resulted in over 130 deaths, remains the deadliest oil transportation disaster in Kenya.

It was followed by another tragedy that led to the loss of four people in Kapokyek, near Kericho, in June that year and the Sinai/Mukuru pipeline fire, which claimed 100 lives in September 201.

At least 40 people were burnt to death after a tanker lost control and crashed into 11 other vehicles before bursting into flames in Naivasha, while 13 Kenyans perished in Siaya during a road crash where an oil truck collided with a vehicle.