The Londiani accident occurred on Friday at 7pm and involved a truck traveling from Nakuru to Kericho. The truck lost control and collided with several matatus, private vehicles, and motorcycles before coming to rest in a ditch. Additionally, it crashed into roadside hawkers selling roasted maize, vegetables, cabbages, and oranges at the Muhoroni turn-off.
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen, who visited the scene on Saturday morning, stated that the truck involved in the accident was registered in Rwanda and not locally owned. According to Mr. Murkomen, the truck’s brakes failed while descending a slope on the highway. He expressed the need to consult the Rwandan government to determine the truck’s roadworthiness.
Rift Valley regional commissioner Abdi Hassan confirmed the incident and reported that the death toll had risen to 48 by 11:30pm on Friday, June 30. Some victims succumbed to their injuries while being transported to the hospital. At the accident site, Dr. Hassan mentioned that two bodies were trapped, and approximately 30 people sustained injuries.
A matatu driver named Peter Otieno, who was driving from Kendu Bay to Nakuru, witnessed the accident at around 6:30pm on Friday. Mr. Otieno described seeing the truck speeding down the road while the driver struggled to control it. He managed to avoid a collision by swerving to the left, but the car behind him attempted to overtake and was hit by the truck. As a result, the vehicle was thrown off the road and landed in a ditch, while the truck continued to crash into other cars before overturning.
At approximately 9pm, Agnes Kunga, the Londiani police boss, confirmed that at least 20 people had died, and several others had been rushed to hospitals in Nakuru and Kericho for treatment. She described the accident as horrific, with numerous casualties trapped in the wreckage.
Reports initially indicated that more than 20 people had died at the scene, and an unknown number remained trapped in the wreckage. A senior police officer stated that over 20 bodies had been moved to the mortuary, but an official statement would be released once the numbers were reconciled.
A doctor at the Londiani sub-county hospital reported that over 50 victims were receiving treatment at the facility. Good Samaritans had also transported an unknown number of victims to hospitals in Nakuru and Kericho.
Rescue efforts, coordinated by the police, were hindered by darkness and a drizzle. Major hospitals in the region dispatched their ambulances and had medical personnel on standby to handle the emergency. The Kericho county government also sent all its ambulances to the scene, and the Kenya Red Cross Society responded to the incident.