Kericho (Kenya), Jul 1 (IANS): At least 45 people were killed and several others injured in a road accident along a busy highway in western Kenya, the police confirmed.

Tom Odero, Rift Valley Regional police commander, said on Friday that the accident occurred on 6:30 p.m. after the driver of a truck lost control and the vehicle rammed into pedestrians, hawkers, and some vehicles parked by the roadside in Kericho County.

"We have about 45 bodies, and the toll may rise," Odero told Xinhua on the phone, adding that several victims are still trapped inside vehicles and others under the truck.

"Rescue efforts have been slowed by heavy rains being witnessed at the scene," Odero added.

According to the police, the truck was heading to Kericho town before it lost control and veered off the road along the Nakuru-Kericho highway, Xinhua news agency reported.

An estimated 3,000 Kenyans die in road accidents in Kenya annually despite concerted efforts by the state and the private sector to promote safety on the highways, according to the National Transport and Safety Authority.