Several people are feared dead following a head-on collision involving two trucks that burst into flames at Kiunduani in Makindu, along Mombasa Road, on Sunday, November 8.
Preliminary reports indicate that four people lost their lives after sustaining severe burns in the accident.
The crash occurred when the two trucks collided head-on before catching fire, leaving occupants trapped inside the burning wreckage along the busy highway.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the fatalities include a woman and the two drivers of the trucks involved in the collision.
The woman is reportedly pregnant, bringing the total number of casualties to four.
Footage seen by Vantage Ke shows a growing traffic snarl-up following the accident, with motorists forced to use the road's sidelines to navigate past the scene and access the other side of the highway.
Images from the scene also captured members of the public trying to put out the flames, although no emergency response teams were visible in the footage at the time.
By the time of publication, it was not clear whether the fire had been contained, while authorities had yet to establish what caused the collision.
The Nairobi-Mombasa Highway has witnessed a series of fatal crashes this year, coming amid a 9.2 per cent increase in road deaths nationally, according to figures released by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
More than 40 people have reportedly died in accidents along the highway since September, with several incidents recorded in recent months.
Among the latest tragedies was the November 8 Kiunduani collision, which claimed four lives. This followed the October 25 Kanga accident that left 22 people dead and the October 3 Salama crash, which claimed 17 lives.
Other fatal incidents included the September 23 accident at Taru, where two people died, and the September 16 Kapiti crash that claimed five lives.
In response to the growing road safety and traffic concerns, the government has abandoned plans to construct a separate expressway and instead opted to upgrade the existing highway into a dual carriageway.
The proposed Ksh300 billion project is expected to introduce at least four lanes, controlled access points, interchanges and toll stations.
The National Treasury is currently assessing bids for the project, while the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) is engaging local financiers to explore funding options.
