Devastating Bus Collision Claims Over 40 Lives in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Region
By Nia Kwame - Featured - June 29 2025
WafricNews – June 29, 2025
Kilimanjaro, Tanzania — At least 40 people have lost their lives following a catastrophic collision between two passenger buses along the Moshi–Tanga highway in the Sabasaba area on Saturday evening. The high-impact crash left both vehicles engulfed in flames, trapping dozens of passengers inside.
Authorities have confirmed that several victims remain unidentified due to severe burn injuries sustained in the fire. Initial reports indicate that one of the buses was transporting passengers to a wedding ceremony.
Emergency services rushed to the scene as survivors struggled to escape the fiery wreckage. Twenty-eight individuals sustained injuries, six of whom are currently undergoing treatment in hospital, according to an official statement released by the Tanzanian presidency on Sunday.
Photographs from the crash site reveal the charred remains of the two buses lying off the roadside, with shattered windows and twisted metal serving as grim evidence of the inferno that followed the impact.
Although investigations are ongoing, local sources suggest that one of the buses may have suffered a tyre puncture, leading to the driver’s loss of control and the fatal collision.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan extended her “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims and wished a swift recovery to the injured. "A total of 38 people died in the crash, including two women. Due to the extent of the burns, 36 bodies remain unidentified," the statement said. The nationalities of the victims have yet to be confirmed.
The President also called for urgent action to improve road safety in the country, where fatal road accidents remain alarmingly frequent despite repeated government interventions.
According to the World Health Organization, Tanzania recorded between 13,000 and 19,000 road traffic deaths in 2016 — a figure significantly higher than the government’s official toll of 3,256 deaths that same year.
As the nation mourns this latest tragedy, pressure is mounting for a renewed commitment to enforcing traffic regulations and addressing the underlying causes of road carnage.
WafricNews will continue to follow this developing story.
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