- A fatal road accident involving a lorry and a matatu on the Meru-Nyahururu Highway left 16 dead
- Families were overcome with grief at the Nyeri Referral Hospital mortuary when they identified the bodies of their loved ones
- Among them is the family of Kenya Forest Service officer Sebastian Ndolo, who told how they learned of his death over the phone
Tears flowed at the Nyeri County Referral Hospital mortuary as families flocked to the facility to identify the bodies of their loved ones who died in a road accident on Saturday, March 28.
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Many burst into tears after looking at the bodies, while the truth of their disappearance slowly dawned on them. They struggled to contain their grief from the sudden tragedy.
Relatives and friends were seen holding and consoling the bereaved, giving comfort to those who were able to follow the tragedy.
What did the family of the Kenya Forestry Service officer say at the Nyeri mortuary?
One of the affected families is that of Sebastian Ndolo, an officer of the Kenya Forestry Service (KFS) who perished in the accident in Nyeri.
Ndolo, who was admitted at the Aberdare Forest Centre, was returning home after receiving treatment in Nyeri town.
However, he took longer than usual to return, which caused concern and caused his wife to try to reach him.
Her worst fears were realized when a stranger answered her phone and informed her that her husband had been involved in an accident.
Ruth Singinga, who is his sister, said they rushed to the hospital expecting to find him in the emergency department receiving treatment, but they were disappointed when they arrived.
“I called the woman who had her phone, she told me that they had her boss and he had already confirmed that he was not among the injured, but he has been taken to the morgue,” said Ruth.
The traffic commander of the region, Elizabeth Vivi said, of the 16 dead, six have not yet been identified. He called on the families to come forward to help identify and claim the bodies.
Vivi noted that three that did not have too many passengers, as there were two young men and the driver, who are not usually counted as passengers.
“It had two children with the driver, making the total number of people in the matatu of 14 seats up to 17. Legally, it is clear that young people are not counted as full passengers, and also the driver. That is why the suggestion that the matatu was loaded is incorrect,” he explained.
How did the Nyeri accident happen?
The fatal accident, involving a firewood truck and a matatu, happened in Matangine area on the Meru-Nyahururu Highway, near the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology.
The accident happened when the truck that was transporting firewood, overturned and hit a public car that was carrying passengers.
It is said that the truck driver was trying to avoid the bodaboda driver when he swerved and caused the fatal accident.
Four people died instantly at the scene, while 11 others died later that day, when rescuers were working to recover bodies stuck in the wreckage, bringing the total number of dead by March 29 to 15.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
