A tanker carrying chemical gas has crashed into other vehicles and burst into flames on a major road in Kenya, killing at least 42 people, officials say.

Mwachi Pius Mwachi, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Unit, said the vehicle lost control while going downhill on the road from the capital of Nairobi to Naivasha.

“This is a serious chemical incident,” he said.

Felestus Kioko, the Red Cross coordinator of the region, said more than 30 bodies had been recovered.

Police said that 50 people were injured.

Eleven vehicles were burnt in the accident.

“The lorry was in high speed and lost control after hitting speed bumps an ended up ramming into oncoming cars,” witness Peter Kimani said.

Kenya has struggled to reduce the rising number of road accidents as more people acquire vehicles in the country’s growing middle class.

In 2013, the government reintroduced breathalysers to limit accidents blamed on drink-drivers.

According to the National Transport and Safety Authority 1574 died in road accidents in the first half of this year, 86 more deaths than in the same period last year.