A tanker transporting petrol lost control on Sunday at Lwandeti along the Eldoret-Webuye highway and invited the craze of residents who conducted a looting spree and emptied it.
At least 10 people fell unconscious after inhaling the fuel during the melee and were given first aid and recovered.
Efforts by the police to save the fuel from being stolen were futile after they met hostility from charged residents who threatened to set the vehicle on fire if they were not allowed to siphon the precious commodity.
The driver of the loaded tanker had veered off the road after losing control and hitting a saloon car from the rear. The car was diverting towards Lwandeti DEB Secondary School.
Hundreds of residents thronged the scene armed with jerrycans, some running while others racing on motorbikes to fill their containers and the bike tanks to the brim.
“Police officers rushed to the scene, but because of the larger number of people who had already gathered at the scene siphoning petrol and threatening to set the place on fire if stopped from looting the content, they encountered difficulties in stopping the looters,” an eye witnessed said as reported by West FM.
Lwandeti Location Chief Thomas Luvonga said that the driver of the tanker and his conductor escaped from the scene without any injuries.
Sam Oduor is the founder and one of the editors at WKT. With a strong background in Communication and Journalism, Sam is an experienced digital media expert currently building a team of young professionals dedicated to telling the story of our community in a unique, authentic way.
