At least eight people have died after a matatu plunged into the Mbagathi River this morning.
According to a police report, the incident occurred at 10 am and involved a 33-seater matatu, with all eight fatalities occurring on the spot. The matatu, belonging to Naboka Sacco, lost control and veered off the road before plunging into the river.
“This morning 18/05/24 around 10:00am a PSV matatu plying Gataka Nairobi route lost control and plunged into Mbagathi river just before Cooperative University killing 8 people on the spot,” Police report reads.
“The rest were rescued by various ambulances and taken to nearby hospitals although in critical conditions.”
The driver, who is among the fatalities, was driving from Gataka to Nairobi. Other injured occupants were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical attention.
Police and rescue teams are currently at the scene, working to retrieve the victims from the river.
This tragic accident coincides with increased road safety awareness campaigns by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) across the country.