Six people were admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital on Thursday with serious injuries, following an acid attack on a commuter train in Nairobi.
The five men and a woman were commuting from Ruiru to Nairobi on Thursday when some men who were seated on the rooftop of the train poured acid on them through the ventilation openings, according to police.
“They are out of danger… they should be discharged soon because their condition has been stabilised,” a nurse at the Kenyatta National Hospital said.
Some of them sustained injuries on the head while others were burnt on the hands and thighs.
“I just started itching on my arms and before I realised what was happening I saw smoke emanating from the clothes of the passenger who was seated next to me, that is when I realised we were burning and people started screaming,” one of the passengers admitted to the KNH said.
The passengers were rushed to the KNH by police officers from the Railways Police station who went to their rescue at the Makadara station.
“It was poured from the ventilation. At first I thought it was raining outside but when I felt a sharp pain where the drops landed, I realised we were in danger,” another passenger said.
The passengers were travelling in one of the compartments of the train when the attack occurred at about 7am.
A statement from the Rift Valley Railways which manages the commuter trains said it was ferrying the passengers to Nairobi from Ruiru.
“RVR is committed to ensuring the safety and security of its passengers and is therefore working in close collaboration with the authorities in this investigation as the company continues to improve its commuter services in Nairobi and the peri-urban area,” the statement said.
Railways Police Commandant Kirimi Ringera said they were investigating reports that the attack was executed by a group of rowdy youth who were targeting the train conductor over claims he charges high fares.
He said they were holding a suspect who was assisting them with the investigation.
“We have a suspect in custody who is giving us very crucial information about the incident and who executed the mission and why,” Mr Ringera said.
Police have blamed the attack on a group of youths who board the train in Dandora and only sit on its roof as others hang precariously on the doors and windows to avoid paying the Sh20 or Sh30 charged for the trip.
When the train stops at designated stations, passengers on the roof and those on the doors are usually the first ones to disembark before they can be asked to pay.
“We hope to get the others who were involved through the suspect who is in our custody,” Mr Ringera added.
Read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/Kenyanews/6-people-in-acid-attack-on-Nairobi-train-13135.html#ixzz1OrHIUxid
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