NAIROBI: Fifteen people died and 13 were injured when a truck carrying potatoes crashed into five vehicles in the southern Tanzanian town of Mbeya, a hospital official said Saturday. The truck was driving down a steep hill when the accident happened on Friday night, according to a statement from the presidency. Petro Seme, a doctor and supervisor at the Mbeya hospital, said 13 bodies had arrived at the morgue on Friday night, and two of the injured had later died. “We regret that in total fifteen people have died,” he told AFP, adding that of 13 other injured, two were in a critical condition. The presidency had earlier put the death toll at 11. “Yet again we have lost fellow citizens in a road accident, while others are injured. I am deeply saddened,” President John Magufuli was quoted as saying in the statement. Road accidents in Tanzania are common, often due to speeding, overloading of vehicles, poor road and vehicle conditions, but also lax road safety enforcement by police. In March, 24 people were killed when a bus collided with a truck, while the following month a similar accident left 12 dead and 46 injured. Last Sunday five people, including two tourists from Spain and two from Italy were killed in accident in the north of the country. </s> By THE CITIZEN

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Fifteen people died and 13 were injured when a truck carrying potatoes crashed into five vehicles in the southern Tanzanian town of Mbeya.

The truck was driving down a steep hill when the accident happened on Friday night.

"Yet again we have lost fellow citizens in a road accident, while others are injured. I am deeply saddened," President John Magufuli was quoted as saying in the statement.

“We received 13 deceased who died on the spot and two others lost their lives while receiving treatment. Two more victims are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU),” said Dr Petro Seme at the Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital.

He said four victims have been discharged while several others continue to receive treatment.

According to the police, the accident involved two petroleum tankers, two trucks and a minibus.

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Road accidents in Tanzania are common, often due to speeding, overloading of vehicles, poor road and vehicle conditions, but also lax road safety enforcement by police.

In March, 24 people were killed when a bus collided with a truck, while the following month a similar accident left 12 dead and 46 injured. </s> The truck was driving down a steep hill when the accident happened on Friday night, according to a statement from the presidency

Fifteen people died and 13 were injured when a truck carrying potatoes crashed into five vehicles in the southern Tanzanian town of Mbeya, a hospital official said Saturday. The truck was driving down a steep hill when the accident happened on Friday night, according to a statement from the presidency.

Petro Seme, a doctor and supervisor at the Mbeya hospital, said 13 bodies had arrived at the morgue on Friday night, and two of the injured had later died. "We regret that in total fifteen people have died," he told AFP, adding that of 13 other injured, two were in a critical condition. The presidency had earlier put the death toll at 11.

"Yet again we have lost fellow citizens in a road accident, while others are injured. I am deeply saddened," President John Magufuli was quoted as saying in the statement. Road accidents in Tanzania are common, often due to speeding, overloading of vehicles, poor road and vehicle conditions, but also lax road safety enforcement by police.

In March, 24 people were killed when a bus collided with a truck, while the following month a similar accident left 12 dead and 46 injured. Last Sunday five people, including two tourists from Spain and two from Italy were killed in accident in the north of the country.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever </s> Twelve people were killed and 46 injured in a crash between a bus and a truck in northern Tanzania, traffic police said.

The accident happened late Wednesday evening in Makomero in Tabora province.

"A total of 12 people were killed, 10 at the scene and two while being evacuated to hospital," traffic police said, adding that 46 people were injured.

The truck, which was transporting potatoes, is believed to have crashed into the bus. </s> ARUSHA, Tanzania, July 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed and 45 injured in a road accident in south-western Tanzania's region of Mbeya on Sunday, police said.

Mussa Taibu, Mbeya Regional Police Commander, confirmed the accident, saying it happened at Mbalizi Hill on the outskirts of Mbeya city in the afternoon and involved three commuter buses and a truck.

Taibu said that the accident occurred when a truck carrying a container rammed into a commuter mini-bus and killed 20 people on the spot.

After hitting the first mini-bus, the truck got out of the way and hit other two mini-buses before plunging into a river, said Taibu.

The truck was heading to the Tanzania-Zambia border town of Tunduma from the south-western city of Mbeya, according to the police.

He said the injured people have been sent to Mbalizi District Designated Hospital and Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital.

The accident came only three days after another road accident, in which five people died and three injured, happened in Mtwara Region in Tanzania.

Reports have it that reckless driving and poor road infrastructures as among the major factors fueling road accidents in Tanzania. </s> According to the information given by the police, minimum of 20 people lost their lives while 45 others got injured in a road accident in south-western Tanzania’s region of Mbeya on Sunday.

Mussa Taibu, Mbeya Regional Police Commander, confirmed the accident, saying it happened at Mbalizi Hill on the outskirts of Mbeya city in the afternoon and involved three commuter buses and a truck, Xinhua reported.

Taibu said that the accident occurred when a truck carrying a container rammed into a commuter mini-bus and killed 20 people on the spot. After hitting the first mini-bus, the truck got out of the way and hit other two mini-buses before plunging into a river, said Taibu.

The truck was heading to the Tanzania-Zambia border town of Tunduma from the south-western city of Mbeya, according to the police. He said the injured people have been sent to Mbalizi District Designated Hospital and Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital.

The accident came only three days after another road accident, in which five people died and three injured, happened in Mtwara Region in Tanzania. </s> Twelve people were killed and 46 injured in a crash between a bus and a truck in northern Tanzania, traffic police said.

The accident happened late on Wednesday evening in Makomero in Tabora province.

"A total of 12 people were killed, 10 at the scene and two while being evacuated to hospital," traffic police said, adding that 46 people were injured.

The truck, which was transporting potatoes, is believed to have crashed into the bus.

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FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook. </s> At least 35 people were killed, most of them young children, after a bus carrying students lost control and crashed in northern Tanzania, police said Saturday.

The bus had been carrying the students from a primary school in Arusha for an examination, Arusha Region Police Commander Charles Mkumbo said. It skidded off the road near the Mlera River in Meatu district and plunged into a gully.

Officials said the dead included 32 young students, two teachers and a bus driver. They said all of those bodies had been recovered.

Photos posted on local media showed one end of the bus crushed. Children’s bodies were laid out along the paved road after being pulled from the wreckage, their faces covered. They appeared to be in school uniforms.

President John Magufuli sent a message with his condolences to families of the victims “at this time of tragedy and grief.”

Africa has the world’s highest per capita rate of road deaths though it has roughly just 2 percent of the world’s vehicles, the World Bank has reported. Poor infrastructure and maintenance are widespread.

According to Tanzanian government data, 3,574 people were killed in traffic accidents in the East African nation in 2015.
A road accident in Tanzania leaves 20 dead and 45 others injured.