A school trip turned into a scene of confusion and distress on Wednesday morning after a bus carrying students from Igumori Secondary School overturned near Karii Market in Mbeere North, Embu County.

By mid-morning, injured learners were being ferried to nearby hospitals as parents rushed to the scene, trying to make sense of what had happened. At least five students were reported to be seriously hurt, with others sustaining minor injuries.

Witnesses said the bus appeared to lose control after hitting a wet patch on the road. It then veered off the tarmac and rolled into a roadside valley.

“The vehicle just skidded. After that, it went off the road and overturned,” one witness said, describing the moments before emergency crews arrived.

Images from the scene showed the bus lying on its side off the road. Rescue teams and members of the public worked together to pull students from the wreckage, some of them trapped inside.

First responders said rain earlier in the morning may have left the road slippery, making it harder for the driver to keep control. Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the crash.

The accident adds to a troubling pattern of road incidents reported across the country in recent days.

Only hours earlier, another crash on the Bungoma–Webuye road left at least five people dead after a matatu collided head-on with a trailer near Bukembe Bridge. Police said the impact happened shortly after midnight and left several others injured.

Investigators in both cases are still piecing together what happened. Police have urged drivers to be extra cautious, especially on wet roads and busy highway stretches.

For the families of Igumori Secondary School students, attention now turns to hospital wards and recovery rooms, where several children remain under observation as doctors assess the extent of their injuries.