Grisly road crash claims 18 lives in Tabora 

EIGHTEEN people have died on the spot while 36 others sustained serious injuries in a grisly road accident which occurred on Saturday in Nzega Township, Tabora Region.

A grisly head-on collision involving a passenger bus and a fuel tanker truck claimed 18 lives on the spot and left many others wounded.

The accident which occurred at Uchama area in Nzega township involved a passenger bus   christened Alpha which was involved in head-on collision with a fuel tanker.

According to Tabora Regional Police Commander (RPC), Richard Abwao, the passenger bus was heading to Dar es Salaam from Mwanza City while the fuel tanker was heading to the Lake Zone regions.

According to eye witnesses, the oil tanker driver was overtaking without taking precaution, an act which led to the deadly mishap.

RPC Abwao said that among the dead are 13 men and 5 women while 36 others were injured.

“We have received 18 dead bodies; some of them are little children. We are now working to help the injured get much needed medical attention,” said Nzega District Commissioner, Ms Naitwapwaki Tukai.

She said that the government in Nzega was doing everything possible to stretch treatment services to the injured. Some of the survivors were getting treatment at Nzega Town Hospital while others were rushed to Nkinga Referral Hospital in the neighbouring Igunga District.

While calling for drivers in the country to embark on defensive driving, the district commissioner reminded that recklessness was costing the nation its much needed work force through unnecessary road accidents.

A senior officer of the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA), Mr Nelson Mmari said that among the passengers who boarded the ill-fated bus, only 49 had electronic tickets which made it easy to recognise them.

“LATRA calls for passengers boarding buses to have electronic tickets which make it easier for them to be recognised and get needed help in case of accidents. Also, their luggage can be easily traced and handed to them,” he said.

Until we were going to press, the exercise of recognising dead bodies was ongoing where multitudes were seen visiting the morgue at Nzega town hospital. Nzega Town Council’s Executive Director, Mr Shomary Mndolwa was among top government officials who tirelessly worked to help the wounded.