Three more people dead after Pwani University bus, matatu collide in Naivasha; death toll rises to 17

The death toll in the Naivasha accident has risen to 17 after three more patients succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.

The most affected was Pwani University which lost ten students and staff while others were left fighting for their lives in different hospitals following the accident on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

Survivors of the accident narrated how they were advised to wear safety belts minutes before the bus rammed a matatu and crashed into a drainage ditch in Naivasha.

The bus that was driving downhill was flashing and hooting before hitting the matatu in Kayole estate on Thursday mid-day, as both vehicles then crashed by the roadside.

Nakuru Health CEC Jackline Osore said 76 patients have so far been treated, adding that they have also managed to transfer a total of 12 patients to different hospitals including the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) as well as the Nakuru Provincial General Hospital (PGH) for specialized treatment.

The Chief Officer for Disaster Management in the county, Joyce Cheche, appealed for blood donations noting that many of the victims lost a lot of blood.

She termed the incident as shocking, coming barely a day after seven people died in Oljorai area after their houses were swept by flash floods.

One of the injured students, Evan Kipchumba, said trouble began after the bus hit one of the bumps along the highway leading to a mechanical breakdown.

He said the co-driver advised the students to wear their safety belts before the bus gained momentum, overtaking cars at high speed before hitting the matatu.

Another student, Kevin Momanyi, said they were 62 students in the bus heading to Eldoret for the national hockey games.