11 killed as bus plunges into river
Mrs Damaris Wangui (left) and her father Benson Mwangi 71 years could not hold back their tears at the Thika district hospital. Wangui's son James Njue (right) was admitted at the hospital after being involved in a grisly road accident at the Sagana bridge on Saturday night where ten people died. Wangui lost her one year old son in the incident. PHOTO/HEZRON NJOROGE
At least 11 people died on Saturday night when a bus they were travelling in hit a bridge and plunged into Maragwa river on Nairobi-Nyeri road.
Twenty-one others were critically injured and were taken to Thika district hospital, according to provincial traffic police officer Job Magutu.
“The bus was from Nyeri heading to Nairobi, but we are yet to establish where exactly it was headed. The accident occurred at around 7.30 p.m.” Mr Magutu told the Sunday Nation.
Those taken to hospital included the bus driver, four children and eleven adults. The bus, which belongs to Kamenjwa Premier Academy and was on hire, was said to be carrying 37 people.
From a funeral
The group was reportedly coming from a funeral.
The police said the bus veered off the road before hitting the Sabasaba bridge.
The place has been identified by police as an accident black spot.
Eleven bodies had been retrieved, and by the time of going to press on Saturday night, efforts to rescue those still stuck in the bus were going on.
Police were making plans to have the bus pulled out of the river.
Towing vehicles were already at the scene.
The accident happened hardly a week to Christmas, a season often characterised by road carnage attributed to speeding, drunken driving or overloading.
