At least 34 people are confirmed dead after a Mombasa-bound bus they were travelling in plunged into River Nithi along the Meru-Nairobi highway on Sunday evening.
Tharaka Nithi County Commissioner, Nobert Komora, confirmed on Monday that 11 people had survived the grisly crash but cautioned that the number of fatalities could rise since they were seriously injured.
County police commander, Ms Donatha Chali, said the bodies of the dead had been moved to mortuaries in Chuka County Referral and Chogoria PCEA hospitals.
The accident happened at 6.40pm after the bus, which was travelling from Maua, fell off the bridge into the river about 40 metres below.
The Modern Coast bus, which was headed to Mombasa, is said to have left Meru town around 5pm Sunday.
On reaching Nithi bridge, a notorious blackspot, witnesses say the driver appeared to lose control as the bus hurtled down the steep slope at top speed before plunging into the river.
After the fatal crash, it emerged that the Modern Coast bus — KCF614U — is not new to controversy.
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has suspended the operations Modern Coast Express Limited.
In a statement by NTSA Director-General George Njao, the authority said the operations of the bus company had been halted across seven routes where it operates.
He added that a thorough multi-agency investigation into the Nithi bridge crash had been started.
NTSA is also evaluating the bus company’s safety operation standards, Mr Njao added.
The bus company was founded in 2007, with operations in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
By Nation.Africa