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Atleast ten people died on the spot at around 11 am yesterday after
three vehicles – two commuter buses and a saloon car – were involved in a
road accident at Mbweni near Mkata in Handeni District.
Juma Ndaki, who is acting as Tanga Regional Police Commander, said the crash left another 35 people severely injured.
The RPC explained that the accident occurred at around 11am
yesterday morning and involved two upcountry buses and a private car.
RPC Ndaki identified the two buses as one Ngorika with registration
number T770 BKW which was heading to Arusha from Dar es Salaam.
The second one was Ratco registration number T665 CBR which was
heading to Dar es Salaam from Tanga and the third vehicle was a saloon
car registration T628 CXE which was heading to Arusha but whose make was
not specified.
In his narration of the incident, the Acting RPC explained
that;“The saloon car was attempting to overtake the Ngorika bus but
could not because the Ratco bus was already too close and travelling in
the opposite direction…the Ratco bus tried to avoid the saloon and as
result ended up in head on collision with the Ngorika bus.”
“The cause of the accident was the private car attempting to
overtake the bus…the two people in the car also died on the spot,” the
RPC said.
He said the deceased include two men, five women and three
children. Of the injured, he said eleven were onboard the Ratco bus
while the other twenty were in the Ngorika.
“They were all rushed to the hospital where they are still
undergoing treatment,” summed up the Acting Regional Police Commander
Juma Ndaki.
Meanwhile, two other people also died on the spot in another tragic
road accident after an upcountry bus christened ‘Happy Nation’ that
plys the Dar es Salaam-Mbeya route overturned around the Kikwaraza
Mikumi area in Morogoro Region.
Reports say some forty eight passengers were severely injured and
according to eye witnesses, the accident was caused by reckless driving
of the bus driver who the witnesses say was over speeding.
The bus overturned and landed on live electricity wires. The
deceased included one woman and one man who are yet to be identified.
These most recent tragedy adds to the nation’s ever gruesome road
carnage blacklist and have so far tainted this year as a tragic one.
In contrast, the December 2014 traffic report by Chief Traffic
Police Commander Mohamed Mpinga said road accidents had decreased.
Mpinga reported that the number of road accidents in the county had
decreased by 38.2 per cent from 21,791 recorded between January and
November 2013 to 13, 466 in same period last year.
He attributed the decrease to intensified traffic police
inspections of both drivers and their vehicles citing that unqualified
drivers and unroadworthy vehicles are behind most road accidents in the
country.
However, this year the story is grim, only last month, at least 42
persons died on the spot after a bus they were travelling in collided
with an oncoming lorry at the Changarawe area of Mafinga District in
Iringa Region
The commuter bus christened ‘Majinja Express’ was plying the route
between Mbeya and Dar es Saalam with registration number T 438 CDE.
Amongst the dead were three children.
According to eye-witnesses, it crashed with a lorry carrying an
unsecured container in the vicinity of Changarawe village, Mufindi
District in Iringa Region.
Within the same month, another fatal bus accident claimed the lives
of seven passengers and left at least 48 others seriously injured after
another head on collision of two buses.
The two buses - Msanga line registration number T 637 DCD and
Luwinzo registration number T 453 AUA collided head on around the Mikumi
National Park in Kilosa District, Morogoro Region.
The accident took place at 12:45 hours as the bus Luwinzo was on
its way from Njombe to Dar es –salaam while the Msanga Line was enroute
from Dar es Salaam to Mahenge in Ulanga District.
According to Morogoro Regional Police Commander, Leonard Paul, the cause of the accident was over-speeding.SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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