Two dead as tanker explodes along Eldoret-Webuye highway

Two people have been confirmed dead and many more critically injured after a fuel tanker exploded in the Juakali area on the busy Eldoret-Webuye highway.

Uasin Gishu County Police Commander Wilberforce Sichirani confirmed the incident, stating that search operations are ongoing and that more fatalities are feared.

He noted that, while the exact number of fatalities remains unconfirmed, search and recovery efforts are underway to secure the scene and establish the full extent of the casualty toll.

The tragedy occurred when a crowd of locals rushed to siphon fuel from a tanker that had been involved in a road accident a few kilometres from Paul Boit Boys High School.

According to eyewitnesses, the tanker overturned before exploding and engulfing the people scooping fuel in jerrycans and buckets in a massive fireball.

The victims were burnt beyond recognition at the scene, while the survivors were rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.

Medical personnel at the hospital reported that the majority of admitted patients had sustained severe burns covering more than 70 percent of their bodies.

First responders and disaster management teams faced the daunting task of retrieving several bodies that remained trapped under the charred wreckage hours after the blast.

Meanwhile, traffic along the Eldoret-Webuye corridor was temporarily paralysed as security officers cordoned off the area to prevent further casualties and facilitate emergency operations.

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