Nairobi, Aug 29 (IANS): At least 31 people were killed and 33 injured in a road accident near Narok town, southwest of Kenya's capital Nairobi, police said Thursday.

Traffic police officer Samuel Kimaru said the accident involved a bus, which was travelling to Homa Bay in western Kenya along the Nairobi-Narok highway Wednesday night, Xinhua reported.

"So far 31 people have been killed and 33 others rushed to district hospital in Narok. The driver of passenger bus lost control at Ntulele area causing the accident," Kimaru said.

He said rescuers struggled to remove bodies trapped under the bus. According to Kimaru, preliminary investigations revealed that the bus driver might have dozed off.

"We fear the death toll could rise since there are many people who have been rushed to the hospital with serious injuries," he said.

Kenya is ranked among the countries with the highest fatal crash rates in the world following increasing cases of road accidents in the country.

National police chief David Kimaiyo has directed traffic police officers to be strict while enforcing traffic regulations.