NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 19 – The death toll in the Kericho oil tanker explosion has climbed to four after three people who sustained severe burns succumbed to their injuries, police and hospital sources said.
One of them died in Kericho while the other two were among those airlifted to Nairobi.
“Two of them passed on early this morning while another died on Thursday night,” a police officer said.
Eleven survivors are still admitted to various hospitals in Nairobi while 34 others are admitted at the Kericho District Hospital.
The victims were among those burnt when an oil tanker which they were siphoning fuel from exploded near Kapsoit trading centre in Kericho on Tuesday.
Rift Valley Provincial Police Chief Joseph Ashimala said the driver and turn-boy of the ill-fated tanker were being questioned to ascertain circumstances that led to the accident.
“We are still questioning them to verify reports that the accident may have been stage-managed,” he said.
Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti said officers were investigating reports that the “crew may have stage- managed the accident to justify the loss of fuel they may have emptied at a depot.”
“At the time this particular vehicle overturned, it had very little fuel than the initial quantity it was carrying, therefore, we want to know what happened,” he said.
The tanker exploded when residents started siphoning fuel.
