Horrific road accident in Kenya: 13 pilgrims died tragically when truck and van collided on the highway, there was outcry

A very painful and horrific road accident has occurred on the main highway connecting Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, in which 13 people have lost their lives. According to information received from local police officials, most of the people who died in this horrific accident were religious pilgrims who were heading towards a prayer place. This accident has once again raised serious questions on the state of road safety and traffic rules in the African continent.

According to initial statements of the police, this fatal road accident occurred just after midnight in Salama area. The driver of a truck going towards Mombasa tried to overtake another heavy vehicle moving ahead, but he lost control of his vehicle.

The truck suddenly veered out of control and got hit by other vehicles coming from the front, which included a passenger van loaded with pilgrims. The head-on collision between the truck and the van was so severe and horrific that the van was blown to pieces. The magnitude of the accident can be gauged from the fact that the people sitting inside the vehicle did not even get a chance to recover.

Security officials have confirmed that the driver of the van that met with the accident and 12 passengers died tragically on the spot. However, the situation is not completely clear as to how many people were in the van and whether any of the passengers is seriously injured or not.

Archbishop Martin Kivuwa of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa has expressed deep condolences over the tragic incident. He informed that all the devotees in the van were going to a holy prayer place in Nakuru County, west of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, but on the way they died.

Road accidents are becoming a serious problem across the African continent, including Kenya. Traffic experts and local officials believe that the main reasons for most of such accidents include negligence in timely maintenance of vehicles, driving above the prescribed speed limit and poor condition of roads. Despite continuous awareness campaigns by the administration, such tragic accidents are taking away precious lives every day due to ignorance of road safety rules.