Nairobi: Nine people have been confirmed dead following a collision between a Kenya Railways Cargo train and a Kenya Pipeline Company staff bus in Morendat, Naivasha, Thursday evening. The crash occurred around 5 pm at a railway crossing along the Naivasha-Kasarani road, shortly after the bus had collected 33 employees at the end of their morning shift from the Kenya Pipeline Morendat Station, a key oil and gas storage facility in the region.
According to Kenya News Agency, Naivasha County Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Bernard Warui stated that seven people died at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at the Hospital's Casualty Ward. Two other patients remain admitted at the facility, while another two were treated and discharged. He added that 12 others were transferred to other hospitals for specialized care, with most of the survivors sustaining soft-tissue injuries and bone fractures after the train dragged the bus for more than 200 meters.
Dr. Warui mentioned that hospital counselors have been deployed to offer psychological support to grieving families, many of whom gathered at the hospital mortuary Friday morning to identify their loved ones. Police say preliminary investigations indicate that the bus driver attempted to cross the tracks despite poor visibility caused by heavy mist and fog.
Naivasha police commander Antony Keter confirmed that both road and rail transport in the area were paralyzed for several hours as police, Kenya Red Cross teams, and rescue workers freed survivors from the wreckage. Families who spoke to the press expressed grief and sorrow following the devastating accident that has left the company fraternity in mourning.
Teresia Motieri, the widow of 25-year-old Gerald Motieri, said her husband had worked at the facility for three years and had left behind a nine-month-old baby at their home in Gilgil. Josphat Lukut, father of the late Agnes Awinja, said he was informed of the crash by company officials, later learning that his daughter had died instantly at the scene of the accident. He said the family, from Butere in western Kenya, has appealed to the company for financial assistance to transport the body home as preparations to lay her to rest continue.
Lilian Auma, who lost her cousin, said the victim leaves behind a wife and a young child, urging the government to take stronger measures to reduce the rising number of road and rail accidents in the country. Isaac Kosgei, another bereaved relative, said his family had positively identified their loved one's body and were awaiting a post-mortem before repatriating it home.
The Morendat area of Naivasha hosts a major Kenya Pipeline Company storage and training facility, serving as a key hub for petroleum distribution in Kenya. The nearby railway line is part of the old meter-gauge network linking Nairobi to western Kenya, which still carries freight trains.