Nairobi: A police official says 23 passengers were killed after their minibus lost control, hit the barrier of a bridge and rolled over rocks in central Kenya.
National police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said Sunday the driver of the minibus may have fallen asleep before the crash late Saturday. The crash happened nearly 90 miles (about 140 kilometers) east of the capital, Nairobi.
Kiraithe says 15 passengers traveling to the town of Makueni were seriously injured and were taken to a local hospital for treatment. Regional police chief Marcus Ochola says the passengers were traveling together after negotiating dowry before a wedding.
Road crashes are common in Kenya and are often blamed on reckless driving and the poor state of the roads in the East African nation.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, August 21, 2011, 18:35