4 People Siphoning Fuel Killed In Oil Tanker Explosion

An accident that occurred at Kamagut along the Eldoret-Webuye Highway saw four people siphoning fuel from a tanker succumb to injuries after it exploded on Friday, March 10.

Witnesses stated that the tanker had lost control before ramming into an oncoming matatu which had passengers along the highway.

Villagers nearby the scene had trooped to the area carrying jerricans and buckets preparing to siphon fuel from the ill-fated tanker.

Wreckage of the tanker that caught fire and a bucket used by one of the victims to siphon oil. /CITIZEN TV

They capitalised on the perceived moment of opportunity oblivious of the dangers they were exposed to in terms of encountering flammable products.

Police officers arrived to cordon off the scene where the trailer crashed from the villagers who had begun illegally siphoning the fuel into their buckets and jerrycans.

The officers were forced to disperse the nagging locals from the scene with teargas canisters while engaging them in running battles. Meanwhile, the tanker erupted into flames, exposing the lives of the crowd to danger as dark smoke engulfed the scene with onlookers scampering for safety.

Two people, according to witnesses, died on the spot while two others succumbed while receiving treatment in nearby hospitals. 

While speaking to the media, witnesses claimed that the lobbying of teargas canisters by the police officers chasing the locals from the accident scene had triggered the explosion.

"The driver lost control and hit a matatu from its right side causing it to roll over several times," a witness noted. 

Scores of villagers were admitted to hospitals in Uasin Gishu County for recovery from different degrees of injuries sustained from the fire burns.  

The police were, however, yet to comment on the matter and the cause of the fire.

On August 2, 2022, a section of the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway was closed off after a fuel tanker overturned at Jogoo Centre, five kilometres from the Mau Summit owing to wet weather which made the carriageway slippery.

The accident was reminiscent of one that occurred along Thika Road on July 14, 2022, which led to heavy traffic after a fuel tanker overturned along the busy highway following an accident involving it and a lorry.

The accident caused panic among passers-by and motorists who kept a safe distance in fear of a possible explosion of the tanker, which carries devastating consequences. Police had sealed off the road on both ends with motorists being urged to look for alternative routes.

Fuel spills from a tanker following an accident along Thika Road on July 14, 2022. /KENHA