Forty-nine people die in Kenya lorry accident
Jul 02, 2023
Nairobi [Kenya], July 2: The death toll from an accident at a Kenyan market has risen to 49, with 35 injured, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
Transport Minister KipchumbaMurkomen toured the site of the accident - about 200 kilometres northwest of Kenya's capital Nairobi - on Saturday morning. "Unfortunately, we have lost 49 people, confirmed dead," he told reporters.
He added that at least 35 people were being treated in various hospitals for their injuries after a truck ploughed into the stalls of the Londiani Junction market on Friday evening.
The number could rise as, according to E-Plus Ambulance services, as some people were believed to still be in the wreckage after heavy rainfall hampered rescue efforts.
The Kenya Red Cross has made an appeal for blood donations and announced that psychosocial support and tracing services for affected families were on offer.
President William Ruto expressed his condolences in a tweet and urged motorists to be extra cautious.
Murkomen said that investigations into the cause of the accident were still under way.
Market stalls lining the country's major highways are a common sight, with vendors erecting makeshift stalls to display their wares. Murkomen said the authorities would work to relocate these markets to prevent similar incidents in the future as well as improving other road safety measures.
Source: Qatar Tribune