Over 55 Dead After Trailer Rams Into Matatu, Boda Boda Riders & Pedestrians [PHOTOS]

UPDATE 11.07 pm: President William Ruto joined the country in mourning with the families who have lost loved ones in the horrific road accident in Londiani, Kericho County.

"It is distressing that some of the fatalities are young people with a promising future and business people who were on their daily chores. We pray for the speedy recovery of all survivors; you are in our thoughts. We urge motorists to be extra cautious on roads, especially now when we are experiencing heavy rainfall," stated Ruto on social media.

UPDATE 10.25 pm: Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen revealed that rescue efforts are underway involving officers from various agencies of national and county governments, elected leaders, the Redcross and other well-wishers. 

"More information will be shared with the public. The rescue efforts will be followed by investigations to determine the cause of the crash.

UPDATE 9.49 pm: Reports indicate that over 55 people are feared dead and several others hospitalised in Kericho County, numbers which are projected to rise.

Several people were feared dead following a multiple-car crash that occurred at the Londiani Junction along the Kericho-Nakuru highway.

Preliminary reports on Friday, June 30 indicated that the accident involved a trailer which rammed into a matatu, boda boda riders and pedestrians at the junction.

"My heart is crushed. It is a dark moment for the people of Kericho. My heart goes out to the families who have just lost their loved ones in the worst road carnage at Londiani Junction.

An accident in Kericho on Friday, June 30, 2023. /TWITTER

"We have mobilised our Ambulances and get all our health facilities on standby. May God give us grace and strength on this difficult time," Kericho governor Eric Mutai, who confirmed the incident, wrote.

Mutai's sentiments were backed by Kericho Women Representative Beatrice Kemei, who indicated that emergency response teams in the country were alerted to aid in rescue operations.

Eyewitnesses indicated that a trailer rammed into Public Service Vehicles (PSV) after it lost control and ploughed into a nearby market, therefore claiming more lives.

The PSV at the time of the crash was parked by the roadside at a pickup stage playing host to the bodaboda operators.

Photos seen by Viral Tea depicted the severity of the crash with some of the victims thrown into a nearby ditch and others piled onto each other.

Reports stated that police were deployed to cordon the area and man traffic on the busy highway. 

The accident led to an outpouring of condolences from Kenyans on social media for those families who may have lost their loved ones in the crash. 

It bore almost exact memories of one that occurred on Wednesday, May 10 when a lorry rammed into a bodaboda shade and adjacent parked cars at a stage in Migori Town.

Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen had initially stated that there was an urgent need to address the rampant cases of road accidents that led to the loss of 1,072 lives between January and March 2023.