Two Australians Killed, 14 More Injured In Kenya Crash
Two Australians were killed in a bus accident in Kenya, while 14 more Australians were injured.
The couple of Australians who were killed in the accident were reportedly in their 60s. One man and one woman were identified as the Australians who had been killed, according to confirmed reports. Other tourists who were injured in the accident consisted of 14 more Australians. Other victims in the accident came from various continents. They were from Switzerland, Germany, UK and the United States. There were Kenyan victims as well. The tourist bus, operated by Intrepid Travel tour operator, was moving to Masai Mara, one of the most renowned game reserves in Kenya, when it crashed into a river.
The Australian woman was immediately killed in the accident as the bus was moving through a critical stretch of road. It was near Narok, a couple of hours from the capital. According to police, the driver probably lost his control when one of the front tyres burst. The bus crashed through the guard rails, and 21 people met a fatal accident. The survivors have been rushed to Narok County Hospital.
According to Intrepid Travel, there were 25 people travelling in the bus, who consisted of three locals along with 22 tourists when the accident took place on Sunday night. It confirmed the death of a couple of Australians. "Unfortunately there have been two Australian fatalities confirmed," its statement said.
At present, 10 Australian survivors are still being treated for their injuries while four of them were discharged. The injuries which the survivors had suffered during the accident include head injuries and fractures. According to one of the witnesses, the driver could not regain control after the burst of the tyres. "The driver really tried controlling the vehicle until ... he lost control completely," said Solomon Adele, "Unfortunately, where he got off the road, there's a big ditch and he went down [into] the river."
Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott, meanwhile, confirmed that consular officials stationed in Nairobi had been assisting the families of the people involved in the accident. Abbott sympathised with the families of the victims in the accident. "It's awful beyond belief for the families of all of those involved," he said.
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Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au