Tanzania Bus-Truck Collision Kills 21, President Samia Orders Tougher Road Safety Enforcement

At least 21 people were killed and five others injured on Monday when a passenger bus collided with a cargo truck in Tanzania’s southern Iringa Region, police said.

The victims included 10 men, nine women and two children, according to a statement issued by the Iringa regional police.

The accident occurred at the Kiponzero junction along the Iringa-Mbeya highway. Preliminary investigations suggested a brake failure on the bus may have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle before the collision. Police said they would establish the official cause after a full investigation.

Iringa Regional Police Commander Allan Bukumbi said the bus was travelling from Wasa Village towards Iringa town when it developed a braking system failure as the driver attempted to join the main highway from a dusty feeder road.

Eyewitnesses reportedly said the bus pulled onto the highway at high speed before the crash.

The truck involved was a Scania lorry belonging to Overland Quick International Delivery Company, travelling from Iringa towards the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The bus driver died at the scene, and the bodies of the deceased were taken to Iringa Regional Referral Hospital for identification.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her condolences to the families of the victims and directed the Police Force to intensify enforcement of road safety regulations.

“I have received with deep sorrow the news of the death of 21 of our brothers and sisters in a traffic accident. I express my condolences to the families, relatives and friends of all the deceased, as well as to all Tanzanians affected by this tragedy,” she wrote on social media.

She also urged drivers and other road users to exercise caution and comply with traffic laws to prevent avoidable accidents, praying that God grant the bereaved families comfort and strength during this difficult period.

The tragedy comes just a month after another road accident in Tanzania in which 28 people died when a passenger bus collided with a truck loaded with timber on the Morogoro-Dar es Salaam highway.