Nairobi, June 11 (IANS): At least seven people were killed and eight others injured in a grisly road accident along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa highway in eastern Kenya on Thursday.

Traffic commandant Charlton Muriithi and Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) confirmed the accident, which occurred when a mini bus and a truck collided head-on at Salama in Makueni county, Xinhua news agency reported.

Muriithi said the driver of the mini bus was speeding when he rammed into the truck at around 6.30 a.m., adding that the injured have been rushed to the hospital.

"Among those died on the spot are six men and a woman. We are looking for the driver who escaped after the accident," Muriithi said.

Road accidents still continue to occur despite the stringiest of traffic rules introduced by the government.

Kenya's National Transport and Safety Authority revealed last week that a total of 1,284 Kenyans have been killed on the roads from January to June 4 this year. The number represents a 12 percent increase over the same period in 2014.