Five church members killed, 70 injured in Siaya road accident

The road accident involved a 62-seater bus carrying 75 people along the Chianda-Okella murram road in Siaya County. PHOTO | GOOGLEMAPS

What you need to know:

  • The bus driver, who disappeared after the accident, is still at large and police are searching for him.
  • The travellers had left Madiany market, in Siaya County, after attending a crusade.

Five church members died and 70 others were injured on Friday night in a road accident involving a 62-seater bus along the Chianda-Okella murram road in Siaya County.

The bus was ferrying 75 members of E-Father Ministries Church to Okella village in Rarieda Constituency, the home of one of the church members.

The travellers had left Madiany market, in the same county, after attending a crusade.

Police said the accident took place at 8pm as the driver negotiated a sharp corner — a few kilometres before the church members could reach their destination.

Rarieda OCPD Johanna Jebii said the driver may have lost control of the bus before it rolled several times into a bush.

SHARP BEND

“We believe the bus driver did not notice the sharp bend since this was his first time in the area," said Mr Jebii.

He said the bus belonged to a Nairobi-based company, Outfit Community Centre, and that a majority of the passengers were men.

The bus driver, who disappeared after the accident, is still at large and police are searching for him, he added.

The injured were taken to Madiany District Hospital, where 63 were treated and discharged by Saturday morning.

The seven others were referred to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu, according to Madiany's hospital's medical superintendent, Dr Erick Ajwang.

Bodies of the five who died were moved to Madiany hospital mortuary, he said.