At Least 51 People Killed in Road Accident in Western Kenya, 32 Injured

A police officer stands to secure the scene of an accident where a lorry carrying a shipping container veered off the road and ploughed into several vehicles, at an open market and a bus stop, at the Londiani Junction along the Nakuru-Kericho highway, in Kericho county, Kenya July 1, 2023. (Reuters)
A police officer stands to secure the scene of an accident where a lorry carrying a shipping container veered off the road and ploughed into several vehicles, at an open market and a bus stop, at the Londiani Junction along the Nakuru-Kericho highway, in Kericho county, Kenya July 1, 2023. (Reuters)
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At Least 51 People Killed in Road Accident in Western Kenya, 32 Injured

A police officer stands to secure the scene of an accident where a lorry carrying a shipping container veered off the road and ploughed into several vehicles, at an open market and a bus stop, at the Londiani Junction along the Nakuru-Kericho highway, in Kericho county, Kenya July 1, 2023. (Reuters)
A police officer stands to secure the scene of an accident where a lorry carrying a shipping container veered off the road and ploughed into several vehicles, at an open market and a bus stop, at the Londiani Junction along the Nakuru-Kericho highway, in Kericho county, Kenya July 1, 2023. (Reuters)

A truck rammed into several other vehicles and market traders in western Kenya killing at least 51 people, police said.

The Friday evening accident occurred at a location known for vehicle crashes near the Rift Valley town of Londiani, which is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi.

Officers at the scene counted 51 bodies, but more people were believed to be trapped in the wreckage, Rift Valley police commander Tom Odera told The Associated Press.

The Kenya Red Cross Society said on Saturday 32 people were injured and hospitalized, and asked Kenyans to donate blood. It also said heavy rainfall interrupted rescue efforts and people were still trapped in wrecked vehicles.

Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen visited the scene on Saturday morning and said the government would relocate markets away from the highways to prevent such future accidents.

President William Ruto tweeted a condolence message to bereaved families describing the accident as “distressing” and urging motorists to be “extra cautious.”

Witnesses quoted by local media said the truck veered off the major highway and hit several vehicles before hitting pedestrians and traders. Witnesses shared photos of the vehicle wreckages mangled beyond recognition.

Police had said on Friday rescue operations would continue into the night.

The Kenyan Red Cross Society said they have set up stations at hospitals where people can report loved ones still missing and are providing psychological support to those affected.



Trump, China’s Xi Hold Call on TikTok, Trade, Taiwan

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Asheville, NC, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Asheville, NC, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP)
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Trump, China’s Xi Hold Call on TikTok, Trade, Taiwan

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Asheville, NC, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP)
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Asheville, NC, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP)

US President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed issues including TikTok, trade and Taiwan in a phone call on Friday, just days before Trump takes office again promising tariffs that could ratchet up tensions between the world's two biggest economies.

Both leaders were upbeat about the call, with Trump calling it "a very good one" and Xi saying he and Trump both hoped for a positive start to US-China relations, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

It was the first phone call between the pair since Trump's election in November. There is an array of looming diplomatic and economic difficulties facing US-China relations.

The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that mandates TikTok owner ByteDance divest TikTok's US assets by Sunday to a non-Chinese buyer, or be banned on national security concerns.

"The call was a very good one for both China and the USA. It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects," Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform.

"President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!"

Xi raised China's concerns about Taiwan, which Beijing maintains is part of its territory, and said he hoped the US will handle it with great care.

"The Taiwan issue concerns China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and he hopes the US side will handle it with caution," according to CCTV.

Xi said the United States and China can have their differences but most respect each other's core interests, and that trade relations can be mutually beneficial without confrontation and conflict, comments similar to those he made during Trump's first term.

Trump offered strong support to Taiwan, including regularizing arms sales, in his first term. But during the campaign last year, Trump said Taiwan should pay the US to be defended.

The Republican president-elect, who upended trade relations in his first term, is about to embark on an even more aggressive effort in his second term, pledging to impose 10% duties on all US imports and 60% on goods from China.

Trump said on Jan. 6 that he and Xi have been communicating through representatives, expressing optimism about their relationship.