Some of the passengers stand outside after two Modern Coast buses collided along Nairobi-Mombasa highway, killing 7 people, on Dec. 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Chris Mgidu)
At least 7 people were killed and 63 others injured in a grisly road accident involving two commuter buses along Nairobi-Mombasa highway. Official report said this year, about 3,225 people had perished in road accidents in the period leading to Dec. 1.
MAKUENI, Kenya, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people were killed and 63 others injured in a grisly road accident involving two commuter buses along Nairobi-Mombasa highway, the police confirmed on Thursday.
Joseph Ole Napeiyan, the divisional police commander, said both vehicles belong to Modern Coast and collided near Salama area.
Modern Coast is a regional bus company which plies major routes in the East African region.
Napeiyan said the incident which occurred at 2 a.m. came barely a day after a similar accident in the same area which also involved a Modern Coast bus and another from Tahmeed bus company.
"We have started investigating the case of the incident," said the police commander, adding that one bus was headed to Nairobi while the other was going to the coastal city of Mombasa.
Road accidents still continue to occur despite stringent traffic rules which were introduced by the government to help curb the road carnage.
Some of the passengers and rescuers stand outside after two Modern Coast buses collided along Nairobi-Mombasa highway in Kenya, on Dec. 12, 2019. (Xinhua/Chris Mgidu)
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 (NTSA).
In a report published last week, NTSA said about 3,225 people had perished in road accidents in the period leading to Dec. 1 and more than 80 percent of those who died in road accidents were men. Some 10,825 sustained injuries within the same period.
The transport regulator has suspended the operating license for Modern Coast bus company.
The agency also directed the police to impound any of their vehicles found to be operating contrary to the suspension.
"Following the early Thursday morning crash involving two of their buses, the Authority has with immediate effect suspended the Company's operator's license and initiated a thorough investigation into its safety standards and operations," it said in a statement.
NTSA said it has initiated a thorough investigation into the company's safety standards and operations.
The bus company's online portal had also been shut down and 88 buses were grounded. ■
