A devastating road accident in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro region has left at least 38 people dead and dozens injured after a passenger bus collided with a minibus, setting both vehicles ablaze.
The crash occurred Saturday evening in Sabasaba, reportedly triggered by a tyre puncture that caused the bus driver to lose control. According to a statement from the presidency on Sunday, only two of the deceased both women have been identified, with 36 victims remaining unrecognizable due to severe burns.
The nationalities of the victims have yet to be confirmed.
Twenty eight passengers sustained injuries in the collision, six of whom are still receiving hospital care, the statement added.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan offered her deepest condolences to the families affected and extended wishes for a swift recovery to the injured. She also emphasized the urgent need for greater road safety enforcement, noting that fatal accidents are a persistent threat across the country.
Despite repeated safety campaigns, traffic incidents continue to take a heavy toll. A World Health Organization report from 2018 estimated that between 13,000 and 19,000 people died in Tanzanian road accidents in 2016 alone far exceeding the government’s official count of 3,256.
