Two killed, scores injured in terror attacks on buses
Two people were killed and more than 50 injured in near-simultaneous explosions in Nairobi on Sunday.
The blasts targeted buses on the Thika Superhighway and were about seven minutes apart.
The attacks come a day after similar atrocities targeting upcountry buses in Mombasa on Saturday night.
An explosion went off on a 52-seater bus named Jeean at the Homeland bus stop opposite Garden City, outside Homeland Inn near Kenya Breweries at around 5.05pm.
A second explosion was in a Mwi-sacco bus at the Kasarani underpass at around 5.29pm.
Reports indicated that a third explosion went off at Mwiki shopping centre about six kilometres from the Kasarani underpass.
The first bus was heading to Githurai, the second to Mwiki. All were from the city centre. The explosions occurred two kilometres apart.
Some witnesses said the first explosive was from a device hurled from a moving vehicle while others said it was inside the bus.
Fuel from the bus spilled on the road and police blocked a section of the busy road and motorists driving from town had to use exits from the highway.
An officer attached to the diplomatic unit said at least one of the victims died inside the bus whose windows were shattered and whose underside was also destroyed.
Most of those injured in the incidents were thrown out of the buses on impact from the explosions, suspected to have been caused by improvised explosive devices.
A witness said that survivors were taken to various hospitals by motorists. By the time police and ambulances arrived at the scene, all the survivors had been rescued.
Dr Antonio Milito of Ruaraka Uhai Neema Hospital where most of the victims were taken before being transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital said the hospital received two bodies and more than 50 injured people.
“Most of the patients suffered multiple fractures and other injuries from shrapnel from the explosion,” Dr Milito said.
Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) received 16 women, 11 men and four children.
One woman, was declared dead on arrival while six were in critical condition, chief executive Lilian Tare told the Press.
Mr Kennedy Asoka, who was in the Mwi-sacco bus with his wife and child, said his wife was seriously injured.
“I was thrown out of the bus together with my daughter on impact and it was only later that I learnt my wife had been injured,” Mr Asoka said.
Police spokeperson Zipporah Mboroki said initial reports indicated that one person was killed in the blasts while seven were seriously injured and 39 others had slight injuries.