A long-distance trailer heading to Uganda burst into flames on Thursday morning in the Kipsitet area near Moi Girls Kipsitet in Kericho County, along the Kericho-Kisumu Highway.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Preliminary reports indicate that the trailer caught fire moments after it was parked along the busy highway, with the exact cause of the incident yet to be established.

Images widely shared online showed thick black smoke billowing from the front section of the trailer, even as residents who witnessed the incident quickly intervened to contain the fire.

However, by the time the flames were put out, the inferno had consumed and extensively damaged the entire front section of the trailer, leaving behind a mangled wreck.

📌 What You Need to Know

According to witnesses, the driver was inside the vehicle and was initially unaware that the trailer had caught fire, only noticing the incident moments later before he scampered for safety.

A water truck and traffic police officers later arrived at the scene and managed to put out the fire, but it had already caused extensive damage to the cabin, with the container being ferried remaining largely intact.

Witnesses criticised what they described as a slow response from emergency and firefighting teams, noting that the fire had already caused significant damage by the time assistance arrived.

Following the 8am incident, the area traffic police are expected to commence investigations to establish what caused the trailer to burst into flames.

Vehicle fires involving long-haul trailers are often associated with mechanical or electrical faults, including overheating brakes, electrical failures, fuel leaks and poor maintenance, particularly during lengthy journeys.

The Kipsitet incident comes months after a similar trailer fire was reported in Malaba, Busia County, near the Kenya-Uganda border.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke