14 travellers are killed as bus rams parked trailer

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A mother and her three-month-old baby were among 14 people killed in an accident along the Nairobi-Garissa road on Sunday night.

The Wajir-bound bus rammed a stationery trailer near Tula, 35km from Garissa town.

According to Garissa OCPD Aron Moriase, 10 people died on the spot and another four died at the Garissa County Referral Hospital.

Mr Moriase said the driver of the bus christened Nasib from Nairobi, who escaped with slight injuries, hit the stationary truck which was parked along the road.

Various injuries

“According to preliminary investigation, the driver hit the truck on the side, ripping the left side of the bus. Majority of those who died were sitting on the left side of the bus,” said Moriase.

Garissa Referral Hospital Chief Executive Officer Omar Abdi said one of the victims died while undergoing an operation at the theatre and another died at the Intensive Care unit.

He said the survivors are being treated for various injuries ranging from broken limbs, head injuries and various degree of tissue injuries. 

Loud bang

A two-year-old girl who was only identified as Easter was lying at the hospital’s children section in pains, oblivious that her mother Judy Mwangi had died in the accident.

The deceased’s sister Judy Wanjiru was crying uncontrollably besides the child’s bed. 

According Alfred Kimwele, an Administration Policeman who is one of the survivors recovering at the Garissa hospital, he only heard a loud bang before the bus veered off the road and landed in a ditch.

“All I remember was hearing a loud bang that was followed by screams from fellow passengers. I fell on the corridor of the bus and other passengers fell on me,” he said from his hospital bed yesterday.

He had boarded the bus from his home town Mwingi and was heading to his workstation in Wajir.

Another survivor, John Mutisya, who had a shoulder dislocation, said the driver was speeding at the time of the accident.

“The driver of the bus was speeding because he could have controlled the bus without causing the accident. I urge drivers to be more careful, especially when driving at night,” said Mutisya, a casual labourer who was heading to Habaswein sub-county.

Foot bills

Garissa Governor Ali Korane and Senator Yussuf Haji who visited the injured said the county administration will foot the burial bills and waive the hospital bills for the injured.

The horrific impact of accident was evident when journalists visited the scene. Clothes and body part of the victims were strewn all over.

At the Garissa Police Station where the bus was towed to, the owners of bus were busy covering it with canvas and removing the bus company’s name and the number plate to conceal its identity.