11 die in Kenya after overloaded minibus veers off road

Kitui (Kenya), June 6 Eleven people were killed and eight others injured when an overloaded minibus veered off a busy road and rolled several times in eastern Kenya, an official has confirmed.

The accident occurred in Kanyonyo on late Saturday night, an area in Kitui county, when the 14-seater, known locally as matatu, veered off the Machakos-Kitui road while its driver tried to overtake another vehicle, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rebecca Ndirangu, deputy county commissioner for Lower Yatta, said nine of those onboard the minibus died on the spot while two others succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment in hospital.

The matatu driver fled the scene after the "self-involved" accident, Ndirangu said over the phone.

An estimated 3,000 Kenyans die in road accidents annually, according to the National Transport Safety Authority.

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