Palakkad Resident Among Victims of Tourist Bus Accident in Kenya

A tragic road accident in Kenya on June 9, 2025, has shocked the Indian community. Five Malayalis, including one from Palakkad, died in the crash. The accident happened in Nyandarua County when a tourist bus carrying 28 Indians from Qatar, along with three guides and a driver, lost control on a wet road, fell nearly 100 meters into a gorge, and overturned.

The group, which included 14 Malayalis, was on a sightseeing trip to Panari Resort, Nyahururu. Among those who tragically lost their lives were Riya Ann (41) and her daughter Tyra Rodriguez (8) from Ottapalam, Palakkad. Other victims included Geetha Shoji Isaac (58) from Thiruvalla, Jasna (29) from Thrissur, and Ruhi Mehril Mohammed (18 months). The accident claimed the lives of three women and a child from Kerala, leaving their families and communities grieving thousands of kilometers away.

Reports say the bus was going downhill on the Ol Jororok-Nakuru road when the driver lost control while taking a sharp turn in heavy rain. The bus slid off the road, hit a tree, rolled multiple times, and landed in a potato farm with its roof torn off. Witnesses said it was moving steadily until it suddenly skidded after the rain started. Locals quickly rushed to help rescue trapped passengers before emergency crews arrived.

Twenty-seven people were injured, with several in critical condition, and were rushed to hospitals in Nyahururu and Nakuru. The Indian High Commission in Nairobi and the Embassy in Qatar are providing assistance to the victims and their families, coordinating with Indian community organizations. The tragic news has deeply affected the Malayali diaspora, especially in Palakkad, where the loss of Riya Ann and her young daughter has been particularly heartbreaking.

Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2025/06/10/five-malayali-killed-road-accident-in-kenya.html