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.



Night-time Russian Attack Kills 4 People in Ukraine's Capital

Firefighters work on the site of a damaged building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Firefighters work on the site of a damaged building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
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Night-time Russian Attack Kills 4 People in Ukraine's Capital

Firefighters work on the site of a damaged building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Firefighters work on the site of a damaged building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital with a barrage of drones and missiles in the early morning on Saturday, leaving at least four people dead.

Russia launched 39 Shahed drones, other simulator drones and four ballistic missiles according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down two missiles and 24 drones. A further 14 drone simulators were lost in location, the statement said.

The four were killed after a shot-down missile fell over the Shevchenkivskyi district, said Kyiv City Military Administration head Timur Tkachenko. There was also falling debris in the Desnyansky district, he said.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said that in the Shevchenkivskyi district, windows were broken and there was smoke at the entrance of a residential building, adding that a water supply pipeline was also damaged.

Klitschko also said the Lukyanivska metro station was shuttered after the attacks damaged its glass entrance.

Drones and missiles were shot down across Ukraine, in the Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Donetsk regions.