Six family members die in road accident in eastern Kenya

Six members of the same family died in a grisly road accident early Saturday when their saloon vehicle collided with a truck in Ruai area, about 25 km east of Nairobi.

Area police officer Leonard Kimaiyo said the driver of the vehicle they were traveling in escaped with serious injuries and is admitted at the hospital but the lorry occupants were unhurt.

"The group was traveling in a saloon car when it collided with a lorry and died at a junction on the Eastern by-pass in Ruai. The driver of the saloon car survived and is admitted at the hospital. We have launched investigations to establish the cause of the accident," Kimaiyo said.

The six family members were from a graduation event in Kakamega headed for Kangundo when the accident happened at about 5 a.m. local time.

Kenyan roads have been described as exceptionally dangerous for vulnerable users like children, out of whom a significant number of them are among those killed and injured.

The East Africa nation loses at least 3,000 people annually from road traffic accidents, with close to half being pedestrians, according to statistics from the police. Endit