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.



Wildfire in Southern Greece Leaves 2 People Dead

 Firefighters walk on a road as a wild fire rages in the village of Ano Loutro, south of Athens, on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
Firefighters walk on a road as a wild fire rages in the village of Ano Loutro, south of Athens, on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Wildfire in Southern Greece Leaves 2 People Dead

 Firefighters walk on a road as a wild fire rages in the village of Ano Loutro, south of Athens, on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
Firefighters walk on a road as a wild fire rages in the village of Ano Loutro, south of Athens, on September 30, 2024. (AFP)

Two people died overnight in a large wildfire burning through forestland in Greece, near a seaside resort in the country's south, authorities said.

The fire service said about 350 firefighters, assisted by 18 water-dropping aircraft, managed to largely bring the blaze near Xylokastro in the Peloponnese region under control early on Monday.

Scattered fires burned in the area, but the initial large front had been put out, officials said.

Half a dozen villages were ordered evacuated overnight as a precaution after the blaze broke out on Sunday. There was no threat to Xylokastro. The flames were fanned by very strong winds blowing through forests left tinder-dry by a warm spring and hot summer attributed to climate change.

Authorities said the two dead men were believed to be local residents who were declared missing late Sunday. No one else was reported missing. There were no immediate reports of burned homes in the affected area, located some 150 kilometers (93 miles) southwest of Greece's capital, Athens.

Another wildfire near Andravida, in the western Peloponnese was also brought under control on Monday, but firefighters remained on alert in the area for flareups, the fire service said.

Greece, like other southern European countries, is plagued by destructive wildfires every summer that have been exacerbated by global warming. Over the past few months, authorities have had to cope with more than 4,500 wildfires in countryside left parched by a protracted drought and early summer heatwaves, in what was considered the most dangerous fire season in two decades.

A big investment in extra water-bombing aircraft, warning drones and other equipment have enabled firefighters to extinguish most blazes shortly after they broke out. However, in August, a ferocious wildfire swept through the mountains north of Athens, destroying scores of homes and killing one person.

Still, authorities say this summer's expanses that have been burned are about 25% less in size than the annual average of the past 20 years.