Two dead, thirty injured in grisly road accident

Two students died on the spot and thirty others sustained injuries when their college bus lost control and rolled at Bonje area, along Mombasa-Nairobi highway.

The St.Marys Teachers Training College, Bura –Taita students were heading to Mombasa for an educational trip.

Friday’s accident  occurred barely two weeks after fourteen people lost their lives on the same spot when a matatu was involved in an accident with a lorry.

Traffic commander in charge of coast region Mr Joshua Omukata said the driver of the college bus lost control before it overturned.

“The impact caused the death of two victims, female and male, the injured were taken to Coast provincial general hospital,” said Mr Omukata.

Mr Omukata urged motorists to take caution while approaching the section of the road which he said they (police) have been confirming it as a black spot.

He said there is need to learn and take caution from the series of accidents which have been occurring in the area.

“The terrain of the area is provided by nature, we need to take the incidents as a learning experience,” said Mr Omukata.

Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa under which the college falls, Vicar General, Father Willybard Lagho said 51 students were on board the bus.

Father Lagho who arrived at the scene after the incident called on the police to investigate the cause of the accidents in the area.

“There is need to look for the cause of the accidents, whether it is the construction of the road or there are many vehicles,” said Father Lagho.

Survivors of the accident majority of who were student leaders said they saw the bus swerving before the driver lost control of it.

“We were two weeks to our examinations and we were coming to Mombasa for the trip,” said Ms Esther Achieng.

At the accident scene, a pair of seat and parts of a shattered windscreen was among items strewn on the roadside.

Area residents called on the government to install guard rails along the road to prevent accidents which they said had become frequent.

The guard rails along the dual carriage section of the highway have been vandalised for almost a year and have not been replaced.