Six people died yesterday as several others received serious injuries in a road accident involving two lorries and a matatu (commuter taxi) at Londiani junction along the Nakuru-Kericho highway.

According to eyewitnesses, all the three vehicles were heading towards Kericho town from Nakuru when the accident occurred at around 11.30 a.m.

It is suspected that one of the trailer's brakes failed and it rammed into another truck, which, in turn, hit the matatu ahead as it crossed road bumps at the junction.

The Nissan was carrying 18 mourners and a body from Nairobi to Bondo district for burial. On impact, the body was thrown out of the coffin and slid about ten metres off the road, amazed mourners told KNA at the scene. The coffin was extensively damaged.

The trailer was carrying salt to Western Kenya while the other lorry was carrying chemicals from Mombasa to Tanzania.

The driver of the matatu, Mr Kennedy Ingati who received slight injuries on his face, told reporters that he had just gone over the bumps when he heard a loud bang behind his vehicle.

The traffic police had a rough time diverting vehicles from the accident scene. Salt and the peroxide chemicals were strewn all over the highway.

The bodies, including the corpse, were taken to Kericho district mortuary.

An unknown number of victims were admitted at the Londiani sub-district and Kericho district hospitals in critical condition.

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