Twenty four people have been confirmed dead and several others in critical condition after the bus they were traveling in from Meru to Mombasa lost control at the deadly Nithi bridge black spot in Tharaka Nithi county.
Speaking after temporally suspending the rescue mission at around 10:00 pm, Tharaka Nithi County police commander Donatha Chari said bodies have been moved to Chuka Referral Hospital and PCEA Chogoria mission hospital.
She further said that they are waiting for the Modern Coast bus official communication to affirm how many people were on board.
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"So far we can confirm 24 dead but we cannot tell how many were on board because the transport company has not given us an official communication but we will give clear information in the morning," the area police county commander said.
During a spot check at the Chuka Referral hospital, doctors were overwhelmed as they tried to save the lives of the injured some said to be in critical condition.
But some of the eyewitnesses said they expect the number of fatalities to go high.
" It a sad scene we have collected so many bodies and others are in critical condition the number might go higher than 30," Gitonga, one of the residents, who helped in the rescue mission said.
Scores feared dead after Modern Coast bus plunges into River Nithi
Several people are feared dead after a Mombasa-bound bus lost control and plunged into River Nithi at the Nithi bridge black spot in Tharaka Nithi County.
The Modern Coast bus was heading to Mombasa from Meru with an unknown number of passengers.
According to eyewitnesses, the 43-seater bus lost control at the black spot and plunged into the river at around 6:30 pm.
By the time we went to press, the residents were helping police officers in retrieving bodies of fatalities and saving casualties from the wreckage.
"We have recovered several bodies trapped in the wreckage and in the river but we cannot tell the exact number so far, "Gitonga, one of the residents, said.
Casualties have since been rushed to Chogoria Mission hospital and Chuka Referral hospital.
The accident happened barely a month after a 14-seater matatu plunged into the Nithi bridge claiming one and leaving 13 others with serious injuries.
Last year five others died on the same spot after a lorry collided with a matatu in the deadly black spot.
