Nakuru: Salgaa disaster survivor describes the events that led to the tragic accident with 13 deaths

• Authorities fear the death toll in the Salgaa disaster could rise from 13 to 14, as there are suspicions that more bodies may be trapped in the rubble.
• One survivor, Rhoda Atieno, claimed the bus had mechanical problems throughout the trip, but these were repaired.
• Another survivor, Jackson Adera, said he saw only darkness when the incident occurred and was lucky to be alive.

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics, news and features in Kenya’s digital and print media.

Nakuru – A tragic accident occurred early Tuesday morning, August 20, in the Migaa district of Salgaa, killing 13 passengers.

There are fears that the death toll could rise as rescue workers suspect there may be more bodies trapped in the rubble.

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Nakuru: Death toll in Salgaa disaster rises to 13, five more bodies recovered from wreck

Survivors reveal the cause of the Salgaa disaster

Survivor Rhoda Atieno, who was travelling from Kisumu, reported that the bus had 71 passengers en route to Mombasa and that the crew had been battling mechanical problems throughout the journey. She also mentioned that the bus had not been serviced when it left Mombasa for Kakamega.

“The vehicle had mechanical problems, especially on hills. When we reached Kericho, we asked the driver to let us get off so we could transfer to another vehicle as the bus needed maintenance. There was no vehicle so we waited for over an hour. After the repair, the bus started to hurtle over bumps, which prompted us to raise our concerns but it was too late as the brakes had failed.

“When we realized that an accident was imminent, we started praying. Eventually, our vehicle collided with a private car and overturned, resulting in the tragic death of many passengers, including a woman who was sitting next to me,” Atieno said.

Read also

Nakuru: 8 confirmed dead, dozens injured in car crash near Salgaa

Another survivor, Jackson Odera, who was travelling to Mombasa for work, reported that he was initially disoriented after the accident.

“I saw darkness and then I heard people crying. I hit the window and went out,” he said.

The Kenya Red Cross reported that 55 people were rescued and taken to Coptic and Molo hospitals for emergency care.

Several revelers die in traffic accident on Kiambu Road

In other news, an unknown number of people died in a tragic accident in Thindigua area along Kiambu Road.

According to reports, the car was carrying several revelers who had spent the night of Friday, August 16, at a popular entertainment venue on Kiambu Road.

The Subaru is said to have left the road and rolled over several times before landing in a thicket.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke