By: OrePulse

A tanker carrying petroleum caught fire and exploded near Paul Boit Secondary School on the Eldoret-Turbo Road in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, killing two people and injuring 22 others on the night of Thursday, September 17, 2026.

The two people who died were among a group attempting to draw fuel from the tanker after it had been involved in an earlier accident. Hospital officials, including Chief Executive Officer Philip Kirwa of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), said 22 injured people were receiving treatment there.

Hospital officials said seven patients sustained severe burns across 40 to 50 percent of their bodies. Doctors said three of the injured needed ventilator support amid respiratory distress, while four more patients breathing without assistance were being monitored closely.

The Kenya Red Cross said its teams were on site working alongside the Kenya Police Service and firefighters to respond to the incident. "Kenya Red Cross is on the ground responding in collaboration with Kenya Police and firefighters," the organization said.

Firefighters and other responders brought the blaze under control by around 4 a.m. on Friday, following a multi-agency effort that lasted through the night.

The blast's precise trigger had yet to be confirmed, and officials had not finalized a definitive casualty toll as of this report.