The number of people known to have died from the Wednesday morning bus accident in Kericho has risen to 50, according to police.
The death toll rose from the initial 42 that was reported immediately after the grisly accident that occurred at 4am on the Kisumu-Muhoroni highway at Fort Tenan area in Kericho.
JUST IN: Early morning accident at Fort Tenan, Kericho County claims 42 lives. The Western Express bus was from Nairobi and heading to Kakamega. It had 52 passengers on board. pic.twitter.com/KdOfZJMpti
— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) October 10, 2018
Fort Ternan is a small town in Kericho County, Kenya located 50 kilometres east of Kisumu and five kilometres east of Koru. Fort Ternan is located at the western border of the former Rift Valley Province.
Fort Ternan forms a ward of Kipkelion West Constituency and Kipsigis town council and also a location in the Chilchila division.
It is served by a railway station on the branch line to Kisumu on the national railway system. The railway is heavily graded in the vicinity of this station.
The Highway Construction running From Nakuru To Kisumu through Londiani has connected the town to Kericho and Kisumu.
There are local road leading to highly productive highland areas like Kipsinende, Cherara,Kokwet, Chepkechei, Koisagat, Chepkitar, Lelu etc.
Fossils of the specimen Kenyapithecus were first found by Louis Leakey in Fort Ternan in 1962. There is a prehistoric site and museum about 15 km from Fort Ternan Town.
Fort Ternan is of unusual interest, both because it is the oldest, directlydated site containing remains of Ramapithecus and because the well-known Early Miocene sites in the area afford the opportunity to trace hominoid evolution in one area over time.
Fort Tenan Police Station OCS Charles Ocharo says the bus was heading to Kisumu from Nairobi when it veered off a fly over, rolling several times.
The bus was reportedly descending a slope when it hit a guard rail before plunging down a few metres.
Kericho County Police Commander James Mogera had indicated that the death toll could rise as more passengers were trapped in the wreckage.
According to the police commander, the deceased include 31 men, 12 women and seven children.