Several students are feared injured after a school van belonging to Mahehe Friends Academy was involved in a serious road accident on Charity Road in Endarasha, Kieni West Sub-County, Nyeri County, on Saturday morning.
The van was ferrying pupils to school when the driver reportedly lost control, causing the vehicle to veer off the road, roll several times and land in a ditch.
Eyewitnesses said the impact left a number of learners with suspected serious injuries.
Emergency response teams, including more than six ambulances, rushed to the scene alongside local residents to assist in rescue efforts.
The injured pupils were quickly evacuated to Endarasha Health Centre for medical attention.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident, stating that the school van left the road and overturned.
Images and videos seen showed the vehicle badly damaged, with its front section mangled, the windscreen shattered and passenger seats displaced inside the wreckage.
Police and other emergency officials arrived at the scene and are coordinating rescue and response operations as investigations into the cause of the accident get underway.
By the time of publication, the exact number of injured pupils had not been officially confirmed.
The accident comes against the backdrop of a tragic incident in the same area in September 2024, when 21 pupils lost their lives and several others were seriously injured in a dormitory fire at Hillside Academy in Endarasha, Nyeri County.
The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning while most students were asleep, trapping many inside the building before firefighters could arrive.
Rescue efforts were hampered by the intensity of the blaze, despite attempts by neighbouring students and security staff to raise the alarm and evacuate the dormitory.
Some pupils were burnt beyond recognition, forcing authorities to rely on DNA analysis to identify the victims.
The tragedy prompted the Nyeri High Court to order the closure of the school’s boarding facilities following petitions by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and other organisations over safety concerns.
Hillside Endarasha Academy was later reopened in January 2025 after the Ministry of Education issued a clean bill of health, allowing the institution to resume operations.
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