Local media claimed on Monday that 34 people died in central Kenya when their bus drove off a bridge and fell into a river valley.
The bus, operated by Modern Coast, was traveling from Meru to the port city of Mombasa on Sunday night when it went off the Nithi Bridge and plunged into a ravine 40 meters below, according to the Daily Nation and Standard newspapers.
“34 people have died as of yet, including 14 women, 18 men, and 2 girls. 11 people that we saved are receiving medical care at a hospital “Nobert Komora, the county commissioner for Tharaka Nithi, said to NTV Kenya television close to the disaster site.
According to Nation, Komora claimed that preliminary examinations indicated the bus’s brakes may have failed, preventing the driver from properly turning on the bridge’s tight bend.
All buses owned by Modern Coast were instructed to halt service by Kenya’s transportation authority, the National Transport and Safety Authority, awaiting the outcome of an accident inquiry.
According to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, 4,579 persons died in road accidents in Kenya in 2021, a 15% increase from the previous year.
