At least 28 people have been killed in one of Tanzania’s worst road accidents in recent years after a lorry lost control and crashed into multiple vehicles in the country’s southwest.
The fatal crash occurred late Saturday on the steep Iwambi hill near the border with Zambia.
According to a statement by Mbeya Regional Police Commander Benjamin Kuzaga, the lorry driver failed to control his brakes, slamming into two vehicles—including a minibus that was sent hurtling into a nearby river.
Among the deceased were 10 women and four children, police confirmed, with several others seriously injured and rushed to nearby hospitals. Authorities have blamed the crash on the lorry driver’s “negligence.”
“The driver lost control of the lorry while descending Iwambi hill,” Kuzaga said, adding that investigations are ongoing.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her condolences via social media, saying she received the news “with deep sorrow” and offered prayers to the families of the victims.
Tanzania has long struggled with road safety issues. While the government recorded 3,256 traffic-related deaths in 2016, the World Health Organization estimates the real annual toll may range between 13,000 and 19,000.
This latest tragedy follows another deadly accident earlier this year in northern Tanzania, where 25 people, including foreigners, were killed in a multi-vehicle collision.
