The accident occurred on a highway near the Rift Valley town of Londiani, which is a location for vehicle crashes.

NAIROBI: A truck rammed into several other vehicles and market traders in western Kenya killing at least 51 people on Friday, police said. 

The accident occurred at a location known for vehicle crashes near the Rift Valley town of Londiani, which is about 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi. 

Officers at the scene counted 51 bodies, but more people were believed to be trapped in the wreckage, Rift Valley police commander Tom Odera told The Associated Press. 

The Kenya Red Cross Society said on Saturday 32 people were injured and hospitalized, and asked Kenyans to donate blood. It also said heavy rainfall interrupted rescue efforts and people were still trapped in wrecked vehicles. 

Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen visited the scene on Saturday morning and said the government would relocate markets away from the highways to prevent such future accidents. 

President William Ruto tweeted a condolence message to bereaved families describing the accident as "distressing" and urging motorists to be "extra cautious." 

The country mourns with the families who have lost loved ones in a horrific road accident in Londiani, Kericho County. It is distressing that some of the fatalities are young people with a promising future and business people who were on their daily chores. We pray for the…

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) June 30, 2023

Witnesses quoted by local media said the truck veered off the major highway and hit several vehicles before hitting pedestrians and traders. Witnesses shared photos of the vehicle wreckages mangled beyond recognition. 

Police had said on Friday that rescue operations would continue into the night. 

The Kenyan Red Cross Society said they have set up stations at hospitals where people can report loved ones still missing and are providing psychological support to those affected.

According to figures from Kenya's National Transport and Safety Authority, at least 21,760 people were involved in road accidents last year, including 4,690 who died.

In a speech in December, Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen blamed human error for much of the carnage on the roads, including drunk driving, speeding, fatigue and dangerous overtaking.

Statement on the Londiani crash A fatal road traffic crash occurred this evening at the Londiani Junction, in the Nakuru -Kisumu highway . Rescue efforts are underway involving officers from various agencies of national and county governments, elected leaders, the Redcross…

— KIPCHUMBA MURKOMEN, E.G.H (@kipmurkomen) June 30, 2023

Last July, at least 34 people perished when a bus plunged into a river at a notorious blackspot in central Kenya, while a bus crash in October 2018 in Kericho county claimed the lives of 50 people.

The World Health Organisation said in September last year that Africa has the highest road traffic fatality rate in the world, with more than 800 people killed every day.

(With inputs from AFP and Associated Press)