At least 14 killed in road accident in northeast Kenya

GARISSA, Kenya– At lest 14 people were killed and dozens others injured in a grisly road accident on Sunday night in Garissa county in northeast Kenya, the police confirmed on Monday.

Tana North Police Commander Tom Okoth said 10 people were killed on the spot while four others succumbed to injuries in hospital after the accident along the Nairobi Garissa highway.Okoth said the accident involved a truck and a bus that was headed for Wajir in northeast Kenya. He said the bus they were travelling in rammed into a truck carrying cement that had stalled on the road.

"The trailer tore into the bus ripping away windows and part of the roof severely injuring the passengers. We have launched investigations into the incident," he said.

Police and witnesses said 14 others were injured in the incident that happened in Tula area near Bangal. The police said the death toll is expected to rise given the nature of the injuries the victims sustained. The injured were taken to Garissa hospitals.

The Kenya Red Cross also confirmed that 14 injured passengers were rushed to the hospital in Garissa with severe injuries.Road accidents still continue to occur despite stringiest traffic rules which were introduced by the government to help curb road carnage.

An estimated 3,000 Kenyans die in road accidents annually despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to promote safety on the highways, according to the National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA). Enditem ---