10 people killed, 26 injured in Garissa road crash

A survivor is attended to by doctors at Garissa Referral Hospital. [Abdimalik Hajir, Standard]

At least 10 people have been killed while 26 others sustained injuries in an early Friday morning road accident after a Nairobi-bound bus rammed a stationery trailer.

Confirming the incident, Bangal Sub-County Police Commander Ephrahim Karani said some injured persons were rushed to nearby health facilities while those with severe injuries were taken to Garissa Referral Hospital.

The area police boss who visited the injured said they have commenced investigations into the cause of the accident. 

The officer said the trailer had malfunctioned and stalled on the side of the road, noting that one of the bus crew members was among the ten who died.

“It’s unfortunate that we lost 10 people in the accident and 26 people were injured. We are currently dealing with the casualties although we have begun our investigations,” he said. 

A survivor, Hashim Guracha, speaking from his hospital bed said he was lucky to be alive, narrating the harrowing ordeal. 

“What I can remember is huge bang and went unconscious,” he said.

Guracha said the bus had left Mandera town yesterday morning. He boarded it at Elwak hoping to get to Nairobi to complete his errands on time.

At Garissa hospital, it was a beehive of activities as the casualties were brought to the facility. According to the Chief Referral administrator Mahat Salah, the hospital received 13 injured persons. 

He said two succumbed to injuries. “We immediately dispatched ambulances and managed to stabilize some of the injured while others are being attended to.”