Five people have been confirmed dead after their car plunged into River Liwondwe on the Ekero-Buyangu road in Kakamega County.
Two of the deceased hailed from the same family.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning while the occupants of the car were heading home to join their families for Christmas.
Confirming the incident, Mumias police boss Peter Kattam said that the victims lost their lives in the 5.am accident.
Kattam said that the driver is likely to have lost control because of fatigue thereby making his way to the rails.
He, however, said that the police have launched a probe to determine the exact cause of the accident.
“We suspect that the driver might have been tired and unfamiliar with the road as he went directly to the bridge rails along the river,” said Kattam as quoted by Nation.
The vehicle had ten occupants and the survivors were rushed to the St Mary’s Mission Hospital in Mumias where they are currently undergoing treatment.
A witness, who was later identified as Joshua Makokha, told Nation that he saw the vehicle lose control moments after reaching the bridge before it plunged inside the river.