Iringa mourns 23 victims of deadly road crash

IRINGA: GRIEF has engulfed Kiponzelo Division in Iringa Region following a devastating road accident that claimed 23 lives, with the victims’ bodies returned to their home village yesterday for funeral arrangements and final respects.

The bodies were collected from Iringa Regional Referral Hospital by relatives and friends ahead of burial ceremonies in Kiponzelo Village.

Maboga Ward Councillor, Venslaus Muyinga confirmed the arrangements while speaking to journalists at the hospital, saying the bodies would be transported to Kiponzelo to allow bereaved families, relatives and community members to pay their last respects.

Mr Muyinga said the tragedy had plunged the entire division into mourning, noting that the victims came from the same locality, leaving numerous families affected by the loss.

“The exercise of releasing and collecting the bodies is continuing as families make preparations to lay their loved ones to rest,” he said.

The accident occurred on November 9, 2026, at Kiponzelo Junction in the Masumbo area along the Iringa-Mbeya Highway, when a Maokoto Bus Services passenger bus collided with a cargo truck.

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The bus was reportedly travelling from Wasa Village in Iringa District towards Iringa town when the collision occurred as it joined the main highway from a feeder road.

Preliminary accounts pointed to possible brake failure, while other police accounts suggested that the bus entered the main road without taking adequate precautions.

However, police said investigations were underway to establish the actual cause of the accident. The tragedy has once again highlighted road safety concerns, particularly the dangers associated with major highway junctions and the condition of vehicles operating along the country’s busy transport corridors.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed sadness over the accident and conveyed her condolences to the bereaved families, while wishing those injured a speedy recovery.A