Makupa- Kibarani causeway in Mombasa has been put off limits to motorists as well as for the general public after a train ferrying super petrol derailed Thursday morning.
According to the Coast Region Traffic Commandant Emmanuel Okanda, they have been forced to close the road due to spillage of super petrol after the train derailed at around 4.30am.
He said two of the train wagons derailed leading to the oil spillage.
“We have been forced to close that section of the road because of the danger posed by the spillage of super petrol,” he stated.
A heavy traffic snarl up was experienced in the area owing to the fact that the Causeway acts as the only public highway linking Mombasa Island to the mainland in the west.
The incident occurred opposite to the Uganda Properties Container Freight Station near the Changamwe round-about.
The incident has derived commuters to access their work stations on time forcing locals who were coming and going out of town to cross the channel on foot.
However Police working together with Mombasa County Government officials, Mombasa Fire and Rescue unit, Kenya Railways officers and other disaster management teams have been deployed to ensure safety measures are in place as well as assist in diverting traffic through the Port or Mwakirunge/Nguuni route/Mavueni.
At the same time, people who wished to access the airport or the SGR station in Miritini from the town centre were forced to cross on foot before taking another vehicle from the opposite side.
This is the second incident happening this year.
On May 20, a train ferrying 250,000 litres of super petrol derailed and about five wagons capsized.
