Car Bursts Into Flames After Crashing Onto Nairobi Footbridge, Three Feared Dead
A car crashed onto a pedestrian footbridge along Raila Odinga Way in Nairobi early Saturday morning and caught fire. The crash happened near the Riara University turn-off at around 6am. Reports since then say three people, the driver and two passengers, died in the blaze. Police have not yet released their identities.
Witnesses say the car veered off the main road before somehow ending up on the footbridge stairs. It came to a stop partway up the structure and caught fire soon after.
Videos shared online showed the car lying on its side on the staircase, flames and thick smoke rising from the wreckage. Bystanders gathered a short distance away as the fire burned.
One witness said a police officer at the scene was trying to pull a passenger out of the burning car and calling for help, but couldn’t reach them in time.
What we know about the victims
Early reports from Tuko said police hadn’t confirmed how many people were in the car or whether anyone had died. Since then, at least one outlet has reported that three people were killed, the driver and two passengers. Their bodies were reportedly badly burnt and taken to Nairobi Funeral Home for identification and post-mortem examination. Their names have not been released.
Investigators haven’t said what caused the car to leave the road or how it ended up on the raised footbridge. Photos taken after the fire was put out showed the footbridge’s metal railing bent and torn in places, with debris scattered across the stairs.
Police say they’re still investigating, including whether speed played a role.
The incident spread quickly online. Many people speculated about speed or alcohol as possible causes. Others pushed back, pointing out that things like a mechanical fault, a carjacking, or a panicked driver are just as possible until investigators say otherwise. Some commenters also renewed calls for speed cameras on Nairobi roads.
This crash has drawn attention mainly because of how unusual it looked, a car ending up on an elevated footbridge. But if the reported death toll holds, it’s also a reminder of how quickly a single road accident in Nairobi can turn fatal. Cases like this often reignite calls for stronger speed enforcement and safer road design on major routes like Raila Odinga Way.
