30 critically injured in train accident in Magadi

At least one person died and 59 others sustained injuries after a commuter train was involved in an accident at KMQ, Magadi, Kajiado County.

The accident happened on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in the morning hours leaving 30 of the injured and in critical condition, police said.

Witnesses and police said the Magadi-Kajiado commuter train rolled backwards along a steep stretch, leaving its occupants nursing injuries, with one reported dead on the spot.

The train was headed towards Kajiado town from Magadi. Police said the train had 59 passengers on board from Magadi to Kajiado. 

According to eyewitnesses, they heard a loud bang before passengers burst into screams asking for help. The injured were treated at the Mile 46 dispensary before being transferred to Kajiado Referral Hospital for specialised treatment.

According to the Kajiado Referral Hospital superintendent Fred Ayani, the number of casualties is 46. He said about 20 of them had serious injuries.

The body of the deceased, who has since been positively identified, is being preserved at the hospital morgue.

Some 10 patients who are in a critical state from multiple fractures have been referred to Kenyatta National Hospital.

Residents blamed the accident on rampant vandalism of the railway line and poor visibility occasioned by heavy rains that pounded the area.

Residents say the railway line has recently been prone to vandalism by rogue scrap metal dealers who play cat-and-mouse games with check unit officers who manage the railway line.