12 killed in road accident at Nithi Bridge

12 people among them two children die in a road accident at Nithi Bridge. [Courtesy]

Twelve people died in a head-on collision between a 10-seater van and a pickup truck at Nithi Bridge, Tharaka Nithi County, on Saturday night.

The crash occurred when the van, travelling to Nairobi, collided with a Meru-bound pickup, according to Tharaka Nithi Police Commander Zacheaus Ng'eno.

Ng'eno said the deceased included 10 adults and two children, all from the same van.

 Two others in the pickup, including the driver, sustained injuries and were taken to a hospital in Chogoria.

The van was part of a convoy returning from a parental blessing ceremony in Meru.

Ng'eno urged drivers to exercise caution, particularly on unfamiliar routes.

“It is yet another dark evening with 12 lives lost and two others injured in a collision between two vehicles, one heading to Meru and the other to Nairobi,” said Ng'eno.

 “The vehicle coming from Meru was not usually seen on this route. It appears the driver may have veered into the wrong lane, causing the head-on collision.”