30 killed as buses crash in Tanzania

By Peter Saramba Ongir

MWANZA, Tanzania (AA) – At least 30 people died and 50 others were seriously injured when two buses collided in the Singida region of central Tanzania.

Regional Police Commander Tobias Sedoyeka told Anadolu Agency that one bus was headed toward the capital of Dar es Salaam from the Kahama district of Shinyanga region while the other was traveling to Shinyanga from Dar es Salaam.

Both buses were owned by the same company.

"Before the buses crushed to each other, the drivers were trying to greet each other by lighting the lights and twisting the cars but they failed to control the steering leading to accident," according to Sedoyeka, who said one of the drivers had been warned by traffic police about speeding just 45 minutes before the accident.

Singida regional commissioner Mathew Mtingumwe told Anadolu Agency that the government would take serious actions against reckless driving that leads to fatalities.

"From now on traffic police officers will launch a crackdown against careless driving aimed at saving people's lives," he said.

The crash occurred just a day after 12 people died in another road accident in the Morogoro region of southeastern Tanzania.

In a nationally televised condolence message to the families who lost their loved ones in the accident, President John Magufuli urged drivers to adhere to road safety regulations ordering the traffic police department to fully exercise their mandates to ensure safe and responsible driving across the country.