Kenya road accident kills 51 people, police say

Thirty are seriously injured after a lorry ran out of control at a motorway junction

A police officer at the scene of the road accident in Kericho, Kenya. Reuters

A lorry hit several vehicles and market traders in western Kenya on Friday evening, killing at least 51 people, police said.

The accident occurred at a location near the Rift Valley town of Londiani, which is about 200 kilometres north-west of the capital, Nairobi. Crashes are reported to be common there.

Officers at the scene counted 51 bodies, but more people were believed to be trapped in the wreckage, Rift Valley police commander Tom Odera told the Associated Press.

The Kenya Red Cross Society said 32 people were injured and taken to hospital. The organisation asked for blood donations and said heavy rainfall interrupted rescue efforts and people were still trapped in wrecked vehicles.

Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen visited the scene on Saturday morning and said the government would move markets away from the motorways to prevent accidents.

President William Ruto tweeted condolences to bereaved families, describing the accident as “distressing” and urging motorists to be “extra cautious”.

Witnesses quoted by local media said the lorry veered off the motorway and struck several vehicles before hitting pedestrians and traders.