Over 25 killed in multiple-vechicle crash in northwest Kenya

NAKURU, Kenya, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 25 people were killed and several others injured on Tuesday when a truck hit about a dozen passenger vehicles along the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway in northwest Kenya.

Regional criminal investigation commander Gideon Kibunja said the crash occurred when the driver of the truck, which was being chased by National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) officers, lost control of the truck and hit oncoming vehicles.

"Bodies are being removed from the vehicles now," said Kibunja. "The death toll could rise since the accident involved a truck, Modern Coast bus, four Nissan matatus (mini-buses) and several other private vehicles."

Eyewitnesses said at least 13 vehicles were involved in the crash and some people have been trapped.

Survivors were rushed to hospitals in Nakuru town, with rescue teams indicating that the number of causalities is likely to increase but the exact number could not be immediately established.

The latest accident came after 19 people died Monday night in another accident in western Kenya after a minibus hit a stationary tractor transporting sugarcane.

Four other people died in two separate accidents in Machakos County of eastern Kenya on Monday night.

Seven more Kenyan artists perished in a road accident on Saturday evening after a vehicle they were traveling in was involved in an accident along the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

Some 23 others were killed and others seriously injured on Saturday after a police truck overturned along the Marigat-Loruk road in Baringo County in northwest Kenya.

Accidents are usually common during the festive season as thousands of people travel up country.

An estimated 3,000 Kenyans die in road accidents annually, according to the NTSA. Enditem