Over 20 passengers traveling from Nairobi to Uganda narrowly escaped disaster when their bus caught fire in Morendat, Naivasha, on Thursday morning due to a mechanical failure.
The incident occurred at 1 am along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, where the bus burst into flames, destroying personal belongings and goods.
The fire reportedly started from the back wheels, prompting the driver to pull over.
Despite the rapid spread of flames that ultimately engulfed the vehicle, all passengers managed to escape unharmed.
Naivasha OCPD Antony Keter confirmed the incident, noting that little could be salvaged from the bus as the majority of personal items were completely consumed by the fire.
“We had an incident where a bus bound for Kampala developed a mechanical breakdown that resulted in a fire, but thankfully all passengers came out unscathed,” he said.
In a separate but equally tragic event, a family in Naivasha is grieving the loss of their 16-year-old daughter, who died by suicide using a rope in her bedroom.
This heartbreaking incident occurred in the Nyondia area, just a month after her alleged boyfriend took his life in a similar manner in the same village.
The young girl was a Form 2 student, and her death marks the eighth suicide among students in the area this year.
Factors such as depression, family disputes, and drug use have been cited as contributing to this alarming trend.
The community is reeling from the shock, especially following the recent loss of another Form 2 student in Kayole estate, who took her life in protest against being sent back to a school from which she had been suspended.
The latest tragedy has heightened emotions in the village, where relatives struggled to comprehend the loss before authorities transported the body for further examination.
John Kinuthia, coordinator of the Naivasha Gender-Based Violence Cluster, remarked on the rising number of student suicides in the lakeside town, calling the situation concerning.
“According to her friends, the deceased was deeply affected by the suicide of her friend and ultimately decided to take her own life,” he revealed.
The OCPD has confirmed that the body was taken to a local mortuary, and an inquest has been initiated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
Several family members have since come forward to provide statements as the investigation continues.
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