Two people were killed and 22 others were receiving treatment after a petroleum tanker exploded along the Eldoret-Turbo Road near Paul Boit Secondary School on Thursday night, hospital officials said.
The two were suspected to have died while attempting to collect fuel from the tanker after it was involved in an accident.
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) Chief Executive Officer Philip Kirwa said on Friday that 22 survivors had been admitted following the explosion.
Seven of the victims were in critical condition after suffering burns covering between 40% and 50% of their bodies and were expected to require intensive care, Kirwa said.
Three patients who were unable to breathe on their own had been intubated, while four others who were breathing independently were being closely monitored, he said.
The hospital expected more victims to be brought in as emergency response efforts continued.
The Kenya Red Cross said it had deployed teams to the scene and was responding in coordination with the Kenya Police Service and firefighters.
“Kenya Red Cross is on the ground responding in collaboration with Kenya Police and firefighters,” the organisation said in a post on X at about 10:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The fire was contained by about 4 a.m. on Friday following a multi-agency response, according to reports.
The exact cause of the fire remained unclear, while the final number of casualties had yet to be established.
Discover more from Energy News Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.