Seven lives had died in a gruesome road accident in Gede area along the Malindi, Mombasa highway.

According Malindi police boss, George Naibei, a 14-seater matatu belonging to MOKIMA Sacco commuting from Malindi to Mombasa had a clash with a lorry belonging to Malindi Salt Works Limited claiming seven people’s life immediately, while eight others sustained serious wounds.

The driver and conductor of the ill-fated matatu both perished in the Friday evening accident.

“The injured have been rushed to the Malindi Sub-County hospital for treatment while bodies of the deceased were taken to the same hospital's mortuary,” Naibei said on phone.

Witnesses said that “the Malindi-bound lorry slipped and veered off the road, but when the driver tried to regain control, it swerved hitting the matatu that had just picked passengers at the Gede junction”.

Among those who were killed was a woman and her son who had boarded the matatu at Gede area, a short distance from the accident scene on their way to Mida.

Gertrude Rehema from Gede said she had lost her aunt and niece in the accident, as the two had visited them at their home.

Rehema said she received a phone call and was told that her aunt and niece had died in the collision and she rushed there and positively identified them.

“I got a call at around 6.30pm that there was an accident at Kitsapu in Gede and that my kin were among the victims.

“I rushed to the crash scene and identified their bodies, as bodies were thrown all over at the scene,’’ she said.

Naibei beseeched motorists and pedestrians to be careful on the road, particularly in this rainy season, adding that the roads were slippery.

Malindi Sub-County Hospital medical superintendent Evans Ogato said the hospital received five bodies.

He said one other person died upon arrival at the hospital while another victim died while being prepared to be transferred to Mombasa.