20 killed in road accident near Taru on Mombasa highway

Wreckages of the ill-feted cars captured from the scene of the accident. [Bernard Sanga, Standard]

At least 20 people are feared dead following a road accident near Taru township in Kwale County on this evening.

The accident which occurred at around 6pm involved a shuttle that was heading to Mombasa and a truck driving in the opposite direction on the Mombasa-Nairobi highway.

Kinango OCPD Fredrick Ombaka said it was not yet clear what caused the accident but noted that the shuttle was carrying excess passengers.

"I'm at the scene and I have counted 20 bodies. We understand that more passengers boarded the shuttle at Voi. That is why we have a high number of causalities," he said.

The bodies were taken to Kinango Sub-County Hospital mortuary. Two children were among those killed.

All the fatalities were aboard the PSV operating under Wumeri Shuttles.

Mr Ombaka said the accident occurred some 3km from Taru police station.

The incident comes less than a week after four people were killed and 22 others injured in an accident involving three vehicles at Kosachei along the Eldoret-Malaba highway. The 11-seater matatu heading to Webuye from Eldoret hit a slow-moving truck carrying building materials.