A fuel tanker burst into flames on the Eldoret-Webuye Road near Paul Boit Secondary School on Thursday night, leaving at least two people dead and several others nursing serious burns, authorities said.
Emergency responders said the tanker, which was reportedly ferrying petrol, overturned before catching fire, engulfing the vehicle and sending panicked residents and motorists scrambling from the scene. Ten casualties were evacuated to hospitals in the region, with two victims said to have died at the scene after sustaining injuries described as unsurvivable. Their bodies were reportedly burned beyond immediate recognition, and formal identification is expected to take longer.
Kenya Red Cross teams and county emergency crews were dispatched to the scene overnight, working alongside police to control the blaze and ferry the injured to nearby hospitals. Some of the survivors are said to have suffered extensive burns and remain in critical condition, according to responders on the ground.
The exact cause of the crash had not been officially established by Friday morning, though preliminary accounts point to the tanker losing control before overturning. Such incidents have become distressingly familiar along Kenya’s highways, where heavy fuel trucks frequently ply routes that also carry dense pedestrian and matatu traffic, particularly near trading centres and learning institutions.
Police are expected to open investigations into the crash, including whether speed, mechanical failure or road conditions played a role. The Eldoret-Webuye corridor is a key transit route for fuel trucks moving product from Eldoret’s storage depots to western Kenya and beyond, and has previously witnessed similar tanker-related tragedies.
Local leaders are likely to renew calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations governing the transport of petroleum products, including speed limits, vehicle inspection and driver rest requirements, as authorities work to establish the full circumstances of Thursday night’s tragedy. Families of the victims were said to be gathering at area hospitals and mortuaries on Friday awaiting further word from investigators and health officials.