Two people have been confirmed dead and another seriously injured following a fiery crash involving two trucks along the Mombasa–Nairobi highway early Monday morning.

The accident occurred at around 4am at Mto Mawe, triggering a massive traffic snarl-up that lasted more than five hours as emergency crews struggled to contain the blaze.

According to witnesses, one of the lorries was rammed from behind by another truck travelling in the same direction toward Nairobi. The impact sparked a fire that quickly engulfed the vehicles, with explosions reported moments after the collision.

Firefighters from Machakos and Nairobi counties were deployed to the scene, battling for hours to extinguish the flames and clear the wreckage.

Anthony Mwangi, a long-distance truck driver who was at the scene, faulted the government’s emergency response, arguing that the extent of the damage could have been reduced. He claimed one of the containers might have been salvaged had firefighters arrived sooner.

Authorities have yet to release the identities of the deceased as investigations into the cause of the crash continue.