By Our
Correspondent, Dar es Salaam TANZANIA
The President of Tanzania, John Magufuli, has today April 15 sent
a message of condolence to the families of 21 people who perished in a road
accident at Kilimahewa village, Mkuranga district; some 50 Km south of
commercial city of Dar es Salaam.
This
morning a mini-bus collided head-on with a lorry killing 18 people on the
accident scene while other three dead on the way to a health facility with
other 12 seriously injured.
In
the press release sign by Director of Presidential Press, Gerson Msigwa, the
President wished the injured quick recovery so that they can rejoin theur
families.
"I
pray for the relatives, families and friends of the deceased to persevere
during this difficult time of unexpected deaths; losing fellow Tanzanians in
such a big number is so painful." Said the statement.
The
Rufiji Zonal Police Commander, Onesmo Lyanga, confirmed that the accident
involved a Toyota Coaster mini-bus that was travelling towards the city and a
lorry that was heading to southern regions.
He told
reporters that the injured have been temporarily admitted at the Kilimahewa
health centre ant that the investigation on the cause of accident is underway.
“The
injured were taken to Kilimahewa health centre for treatment,” he said.
Mkuranga is frequently hit by such accidents. In March 2018, about 26 people
died and 10 others sustained injuries when a truck driver lost control of his
vehicle and rammed into a Toyota Hiace minibus.
National Traffic
Police Commander, Fortunatus Musilim, attributed the crash to speeding, saying
the lorry was loaded with 32 tonnes of cargo and its brakes failed when the
vehicle was negotiating a corner.
Police
blamed the crash on reckless driving as one explanation, warning drivers to be
careful when driving on highways, particularly the Lindi-Dar es Salaam road
which passes through Mkuranga. - Africa
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