Three dead, 12 injured in midnight accident

The wreckage of one of the matatus involved in the fatal accident. Three people died on the spot. [Steve Nzioka, Standard]

Three people died and 12 others critically injured in a mid-night accident involving three vehicles around Chumvi in Machakos County.

Confirming the accident Machakos County commander Samuel Mukindia said the accident happened after the 14 seater Matatu tried to overtake a fleet of vehicles.

Unable to manage the vehicles ahead, the diver tried to return to his lane before hitting a trailer from behind where the driver of the trailer lost control, hitting another matatu from behind.

"The matatu was unable to overtake a number of vehicles before the accident that involved a multiple of vehicles happened", said Mukindia.

The county commander also asked drivers to be keen while ferrying lives of people and observe traffic rules. 

The injured passengers were taken to Machakos level 5 hospital where they are undergoing treatment.

The accident caused a major traffic snarl along the busy Mombasa-Nairobi highway but police officers managed to remove the wreckage from the scene that had blocked the road hence traffic returning to normalcy.

The bodies of the deceased were taken to Machakos level 5 hospital mortuary.