Transport along Nakuru-Eldoret highway disrupted after ethanol tanker catches fire at Sachangwan
Transport interrupted along the Nakuru -Eldorect highway after a tanker transporting ethanol caught fire after being involved in an accidental on Tuesday early morning
A midnight tanker accident turned the Nakuru-Eldoret highway into a scene of chaos after a truck carrying ethanol burst into flames at Sachangwan, disrupting traffic and reviving painful memories of the area’s deadly past.
The tanker caught fire at around midnight, with motorists and residents who arrived at the scene initially fearing that it was carrying LPG gas because of the intensity of the flames.
Eyewitness Emmanuel Kipyegon said he rushed to the scene after receiving a call from a friend, only to find the tanker already engulfed in flames.
“I was called by a friend and rushed to the scene, where we found the tanker in flames. At first, we thought it was an LPG gas tanker, but later realised it was carrying ethanol,” he said.
The incident also brought back memories of the 2009 Sachangwan fuel tanker explosion, one of Kenya’s deadliest road disasters, which claimed more than 100 lives.
Christopher Mose, a resident, said the latest accident reminded them of the tragedy they witnessed while growing up.
“This accident made us not approach the area because of the grim experience we had while we were children. We are happy police were able to contain the residents and no fatalities were registered today,” Mose said.
Police officers at the scene helped manage incoming traffic and kept residents away from the tanker as firefighters from Nakuru worked to contain the blaze.
The incident has also renewed concerns over the availability of emergency response equipment in the region, particularly firefighting trucks, amid the risks posed by accidents involving fuel and other highly flammable substances.
Kipyegon called on the county government to replace the fire engine that was torched in Molo, saying its absence could affect emergency response in the region.
“Our appeal to the county government is for them to replace the fire engine that was torched in Molo. This would have got here early to support with the accident,” he said.
The latest incident comes years after the 2009 Sachangwan tragedy, when a fuel tanker explosion killed 111 people who had gathered around the overturned tanker to collect spilled fuel.
On Tuesday, police and emergency responders managed to secure the scene, with no fatalities reported as of the time of filing this report.