Baringo AP truck death toll rises to 23

The death toll from the Saturday accident involving an Administration Police lorry has risen from 18 to 23 after five more victims succumbed to their injuries.

Marigat OCPD Otulya Kaunya on Sunday said five more victims were pronounced dead at the Kabarnet County Referral Hospital where they were rushed after the accident that occurred on the Marigat-Kapedo road in Baringo County.

Mr. Kaunya said 18 people had been confirmed dead by Saturday, 10 pm. Thirteen adults and one child died on the spot with four others succumbing to injuries on the way to hospital.

The driver of the truck was avoiding to knock down goats that were crossing the road when he lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road and rolled several times.

Speaking shortly after the accident, Baringo AP Commandant Robinson Ndiwa said on board the lorry were five police officers and an unknown number of civilians, who had asked for a lift in the police vehicle which was heading to Kapedo from Marigat.

The police officers stationed at Kapedo had gone to Marigat Town to buy foodstuffs.

According to health officers in Kabarnet, some bodies of the deceased could be moved to Nakuru and Eldoret as the county referral hospital mortuary is reported to be full.

The rise in the fatalities from the Baringo accident brings to 30 the number of deaths recorded in two separate accidents on Saturday.

Seven musicians who were part of a Kalenjin entertainment group died on Saturday night in a grisly road accident at Maraba near Total along Nakuru-Eldoret highway.

The seven including five men and two women perished after a Toyota Probox they were travelling in collided head on with truck heading to Nakuru at around 7.30pm. The probox was headed to Hill tea, Timboroa.