41 Lukenya varsity students safe after bus tips over in flooded river

Villagers assist Lukenya University students after their bus tipped over along Emali-Wote road, Makueni County.

Forty-one students from Lukenya University, Mtito-Andei campus, are safe after a matatu they were travelling in tipped over in flooded River Kyamela, along Emali-Wote road, Makueni County.

The bus which belongs to Wembe Company was travelling from Mtito-Andei to Nairobi but it changed the route on arriving at Emali due to traffic snarl-up following two separate accidents on Mombasa-Nairobi highway.

In the first accident, a truck blocked the busy highway at Malili following an accident that police said had been caused by heavy downpour that reduced visibility.

In the other accident that worsened the situation, a bus belonging to Crown Company that was headed to Nairobi crashed at Sultan-Hamud where several people were injured.

The two accidents had caused a traffic jam.

Makueni police boss Joseph Ole Naipeiyan who confirmed the early morning accident said the bus had 46 passengers on board.

“The [matatu] driver had changed route due to the two accidents and was to join the highway at Machakos junction. When they arrived at that river, passengers pleaded with the driver not to dare the raging waters but he didn’t heed,” said Naipeiyan

The police commander said the passengers lost their personal effects, some were injured but no life was lost.