20 feared dead after 13-car crash in Sachangwan PHOTOS

At least 20 people are feared dead following a multiple car crash at the dreaded Sachangwan area on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

The horrific 11am accident occurred after a truck ferrying fertilizer towards Nakuru lost control and rammed into a Modern Coast bus causing a pile-up involving 13 vehicles; the Modern Coast bus, four Nissan Matatus, a land cruiser, prado, truck and several other private vehicles.

There was a dispute over the number of casualties with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) Director General, Francis Mejja, on Tuesday evening saying at least 16 people had been confirmed dead.

According to Nakuru County Police Commander Hassan Rashid Barua, 14 people perished in the accident; 13 of whom, he said, died on the spot and one child succumbed at the Nakuru Level Five Hospital.

However, eyewitnesses insisted the number of deaths was over 20, with a number of passengers being trapped in the mangled wreckage of the vehicles.

Mr. Barua said they are yet to establish the exact number of people injured.

He confirmed that casualties were rushed to Molo Level Four hospital while others were rushed to Nakuru Level Five hospital.

The accident caused a heavy traffic snarl up on the busy highway as police and rescue teams struggled to clear the scene amid a surging crowd of shocked onlookers.

While earlier reports indicated that the driver of the ill-fated truck was evading NTSA officials when he lost control, Mr. Mejja denied the claims saying the driver might have been driving in free-gear.

This comes hours after 19 other people died in a gruesome road accident, which occurred Monday night (December 11) at the Kamukuywa Bridge black spot on the Webuye-Kitale highway.

Last weekend, 28 people died following two separate accidents that occurred on Saturday (December 9). One of the accidents killed 21 people in Baringo after an Administration Police (AP) lorry lost control and veered off the road, while the other, involving a Toyota Probox claimed the lives of seven musicians from the popular Kenene international band, a well known Kalenjin music group.