NAIROBI, Kenya — At least one person has died and another injured following a collision involving a fuel tanker and a lorry carrying flour on the Southern Bypass in Nairobi on Saturday morning.
Police confirmed that the deceased was one of the drivers of the two trucks involved in the crash.
The second driver was rescued and rushed to hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition, according to Langata Police Commander Pius Mwanthi.
The accident occurred near a bridge behind the Carnivore Restaurant, when the two vehicles collided, causing the fuel tanker to veer into the bridge and ignite.
Emergency responders and police quickly moved to the scene to extinguish the fire and prevent further damage, while cordoning off the area to protect the public from the risk of a secondary explosion.
Fuel tanker catches fire after an accident along Nairobi’s Southern Bypass near Lang’ata Road junction, forcing a temporary closure as emergency crews respond.
Witnesses reported that some road users, including bodaboda riders, rushed to the scene in an attempt to collect spilled fuel, forcing police to intervene and clear the area.
Authorities warned that such actions are extremely dangerous.
Similar incidents in the past have resulted in multiple fatalities, including a catastrophic fuel tanker explosion in Sachangwan, Nakuru in 2009, which claimed more than 100 lives.
Police urged the public to avoid approaching crash sites involving fuel vehicles, citing the serious risk of fire or explosion.
The Southern Bypass was temporarily closed as emergency services managed the blaze and cleared the wreckage.
Red Cross and police officers are at the scene of an accident involving a loaded petrol tanker that collided with another lorry along Nairobi’s Southern Bypass near the Swaminarayan Tunnel Bridge on January 24, 2026. It is reported that one of the truck drivers has died.
