This archive report was first published on 24 December 2019.
Christmas travel turned tragic for two families in Busia, Kenya, as five loved ones lost their lives in a devastating road accident on Tuesday morning, December 24, 2019.
The victims, all from one village in Butula, Kakamega County, were traveling home from Nairobi when their vehicle, a Toyota Wish, rolled at the Liwondwe Bridge, plunging into the river below.
According to Mumias police boss Peter Kattam, the crash occurred at 5 am, and the driver is suspected to have been tired and unfamiliar with the road.
"We suspect that the driver might have been tired and unfamiliar with the road as he went directly to the bridge rails along the river," said Kattam.
Witnesses reported that the driver lost control of the vehicle before hitting rail guards on the bridge, causing it to veer off the road and into the river.
Locals and police managed to rescue five other people who were trapped in the vehicle, and the injured were taken to St Mary's Mission Hospital in Mumias.
