Nine die in two separate accidents

Nine people have died in two separate accidents along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway in Makueni county.
In the first accident, four Kenya Defence Forces soldiers died after the driver of a military truck they were traveling in lost control forcing the vehicle to veer off the road before landing in a ditch at Mlima Kiu area near Salama market.
Two soldiers died on the spot while the other two succumbed to their injuries at the Machakos Level Four hospital where they had been rushed for treatment.
According Makueni County Police Commander Joseph Ole Naipeyan, the truck belonging to Mariakani Military Barracks was heading to Mombasa from Nairobi and had 11 occupants on board when the accident occurred Sunday at around 11am.
Six other soldiers sustained serious injuries and are recuperating at the Level Four hospital while one escaped unhurt.
The bodies have been moved to the hospital’s mortuary.
In the second accident, five people died on the spot at Kanga area in Mtito Andei.
Two others sustained serious injuries and were taken to Voi Referral Hospital for treatment.
The county commander said the accident occurred following a head on collision between two saloon cars traveling in the opposite directions.
Naipeyan told KNA on phone that the driver of the vehicle traveling to Mombasa from Nairobi was trying to overtake another vehicle when the accident happened a few minutes to 10 am on Sunday.
“The driver miscalculated the distance between him and the oncoming vehicle and collided head on,” the police boss said.
Bodies of the victims were moved to the Voi hospital mortuary while the vehicles were towed to Mtito Andei police station.
The county commander urged drivers to exercise caution while driving during this festive season.
By Roselyne Kavoo