23 perish in Mbooni bus accident

At least 23 people were killed on Saturday night when the driver of the bus they were travelling in lost control and plunged into a river in Mbooni East district.

Police said 34 others sustained injuries and were admitted to hospitals in Mbooni, Machakos and Makueni districts. Nineteen others were treated and discharged.

“The bus rolled several times before it plunged into the river killing 23 people on the spot,” area divisional police Chief David Kirui said.

“Those killed include 11 men and 11 women and a small child. It was a very bad accident,” he added, saying the cause of the accident had not been established.

Police had difficult times retrieving the bodies and saving people from the mangled wreckage of the bus that plunged into River Kalingile at Mukimwani area.Bodies of those killed were taken to the Machakos District Hospital mortuary.According to the police, the passengers were travelling from Makueni to Kangundo for dowry negotiations when the accident occurred at about midnight.Traffic police have termed Saturday night’s accident the worst this year.