8 Killed After Lorry Ferrying Rice Rams Into Crowd In Migori
Eyewitnesses recounted that the lorry had plunged down a sloppy stretch of the road after the driver lost control...
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More than eight people including the driver of the ill-fated lorry that was transporting rice to the border town of Isebania were killed on Saturday, April 8 after the lorry lost control and plunged into a boda boda parking spot in Migori County on the Migori-Isibiania road.
Several reports indicated that the driver lost control of the lorry along the road and according to eyewitnesses, started hooting at the Chamkombe area indicating a brake failure before knocking several people in the busy town, leaving three in critical condition.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the lorry had plunged down a sloppy stretch of the road after the driver lost control, ramming into passers-by, motorists and boda boda riders before stopping after crashing into a lorry ferrying sand.
The aftermath of an accident involving a lorry in Migori town on Saturday, April 8, 2023. /FACEBOOK
"We saw the lorry speeding into town, and it crashed passers-by, motorists, and boda boda riders as it went down the hill.
"It then rammed into a lorry with sand, forcing it to stop. If the lorry without sand weren't in that spot, then the lorry with rice (which lost control) would have killed more," an eyewitness recounted.
Other witnesses revealed to Citizen Digital that two people were knocked down at River Migori, with efforts to save them proving futile as the river was deemed inaccessible.
They further blamed the Migori County government over what they termed as poor management of parking space within the town, stating that the road is narrow and needs a proper structure to curb such incidences in the future.
Migori County Police Commander Mark Wanjala confirmed the incident saying investigations have already begun to establish the cause of the accident.
Meanwhile, being a lorry transporting rice, residents of the town took advantage of the situation and rushed to the scene to loot the rice.
Azimio la Umoja leader, Raila Odinga, offered his condolence message to the victims' families after the accident.
"I offer my deepest sympathies to all those who have lost their loved ones, friends, and colleagues in the tragic accident that occurred this morning at the boda boda stage in Migori town. May God grant you all fortitude to get through this difficult moment," he wrote.
The crash comes two days after Inspector General of Police (IG) Japhet Koome revealed that road traffic accidents remain a major cause of injuries and fatalities, with most of the victims being pedestrians, motorcyclists and pillion passengers in accidents largely attributed to preventable human errors.
Speaking during the inauguration of the new Board of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on Monday, April 3, Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen stated that there was an urgent need to address the rampant cases of road accidents that have led to the loss of 1,072 lives between January and March 2023.
“According to the latest report, of the 1,072 people killed on our roads, 362 are pedestrians, 302 are motorcyclists, 184 are passengers, 101 are pillion passengers, 104 are drivers while 19 are pedal cyclists. The number of passenger deaths is attributed to speeding vehicles, crossing at undesignated places, distracted driving or walking and drunk driving,” he stated.
The aftermath of an accident involving a lorry in Migori town on Saturday, April 8, 2023. /FACEBOOK
![CCTV Shows Last Seconds Before Lorry Ferrying Rice Rammed Into Migori Crowd [VIDEO]](https://viraltea.co.ke/uploads/images/2023/04/image_380x226_64313ca0b41e8.jpg){kind=small}
