ELDOERET, Kenya, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed and six others injured on Friday in a grisly road accident at a busy highway in northwest Kenya, police said.
Justus Kitetu, Kericho divisional police commander, confirmed the incident, saying the nine died after a minibus locally known as matatu they were traveling in was involved in a head-on collision with a fuel tanker at around 6:45 p.m. on the Kericho-Nakuru highway.
"The accident involved a 14-seater matatu and a truck which was ferrying gas from Kisumu to Nairobi," Kitetu said, adding that accident occurred at the Kapmakaa area in Chepsir.
The police commander added the truck was on the wrong lane when it collided with the matatu. Kitetu said six people died on the spot while three others succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital.
He said they have launched an investigation into the accident amid fears that the death toll may increase because some commuters were seriously injured.
An estimated 3,000 Kenyans die in road accidents annually despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to promote safety on the highways, according to the National Transport Safety Authority.
