10 injured after speeding bus overturns in Mandera
The bus that overturned in Mandera on September 1, 2016 after hitting a heap of soil at a road construction site leaving 10 passengers injured. PHOTO | MANASE OTSIALO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia said the bus driver was unaware of the ongoing road works.
- He said his office was yet to be informed by police in El Wak why the bus was on the road at 5pm in an insecure area.
- Buses from Nairobi arrive in El Wak at about 2pm for overnight stay before getting police escort the following day.
- Two police vehicles were said to have been accompanying the two buses at a fee.
Ten passengers were Wednesday morning injured when a bus they were travelling in hit a hip of soil at a road construction site in Mandera before rolling over.
County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia said the bus driver was unaware of the ongoing road works.
“The accident happened last (Wednesday) evening at around 5pm at Qurahmadow Village between El Wak and Wargadud towns,” said Mr Shisia.
The bus christened Tawakali, rolled after the driver attempted to swerve on noticing the hip of soil.
“This was a normal road accident [resulting from] wrong judgment by the driver of the bus,” said Mr Shisia.
He said passengers sustained various degrees of injuries with 10 who had serious injuries being taken to Mandera County Referral Hospital for treatment.
“Those other injured passengers were [treated] at Rhamu and Wargadud [hospitals] but those with more serious injuries were brought to Mandera,” he said.
INSECURE AREA
The county commissioner said his office was yet to be informed by police in El Wak why the bus was on the road at 5pm in an insecure area.
Normally, buses from Nairobi arrive in El Wak at about 2pm for overnight stay before getting police escort to proceed with their journeys the following day.
A passenger, Mr Issa Mohamed, said they arrived in El Wak from Nairobi at around 1pm but proceeded to Mandera after negotiations with the police.
“There were two buses, E-Coach and Tawakali. Police allowed us to proceed from El Wak as they offered armed escort. Both drivers seemed to be competing and speeding,” he said.
DRIVER SPEEDING
He said passengers aboard E-coach shouted to their driver to slow down but the Tawakali bus driver continued speeding.
The bus, which was bought recently, was making its second trip to Mandera.
Mr Shisia said due to terror prevalence in the zone, buses are not expected there in the evening.
“Buses normally reach Mandera before 4pm these days after spending a night in Elwak but how these buses were found in Wargadud is unclear to us,” said Mr Shisia.
Two police vehicles were said to have been accompanying the two buses with a source within the force saying that the police officers from El Wak took advantage of the absence of the OCPD and Deputy County Commissioner Peter Karanja and struck a deal with bus drivers to escort them at a fee.
