Former TUMSA president Elvis Otieno. [File]
A double tragedy has hit the family of the late former student leader of Technical University of Mombasa, Elvis Otieno, after a bus ferrying mourners in his funeral procession was involved in an accident, killing two students and injuring scores at Boya area in Kisumu.
The funeral procession had earlier received the body of the late student leader at Kisumu International Airport after it was flown from Mombasa. The body was then taken to Aga Khan Hospital Mortuary before the convoy departed for his rural home in Awasi.
Confirming the incident, Technical University of Mombasa Dean of Students Joel Awino said the students had travelled safely from Mombasa and encountered the tragedy while heading to the burial venue.
"Yesterday, a team of students left Mombasa to travel to Kisumu to attend the burial of our former Students' Union chairman who passed away two weeks ago. The journey from Mombasa was smooth and they arrived safely in Kisumu this morning. We received the body at the airport before taking it to Aga Khan Hospital Mortuary," Awino said.
"After picking the body from the mortuary, we were on our way to Awasi when one of our buses had a head-on collision with an oncoming saloon car. The bus veered off the road and rolled. Unfortunately, we lost two male students in the accident, which happened at around 12.30 p.m."
Awino said 17 students were admitted to the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), while 15 others were rushed to Lisa Hospital in Ahero for treatment.
A survivor, Brian Ochieng, who was travelling in the convoy, recounted the moments leading to the crash.