11 Kenyans perish in Tanga accident

By Cyrus Ombati

At least 11 Kenyans were killed following an accident involving their bus in Tanga, Tanzania.

Tanzanian Police say at least 40 others were injured in the accident that happened in Mandere area after a lorry hit a stationary bus and overturned on the victims near a bridge.

 

The majority of the victims are women members of a church from Thika and they were headed to Dar-es-Salaam for a meeting when the incident happened Friday morning.

 

The women from PCEA church in Thika were in two buses headed for the Tanzanian capital when the accident occurred.

The injured were rushed to a local hospital. Witnesses and survivors said the first bus had skidded  off the road that prompted the occupants of the second one to stop behind it in a bid to help rescue colleagues.

 

“It was as they were trying to help the other bus that a speeding lorry hit the other stationary one forcing it to land on the group that was trying to save their colleagues near a bridge,” said a witness.

 

Police on the ground said the number of the dead may go up as there were many other people trapped under the bus.

Efforts to save the trapped were ongoing by press time.

 

A survivor, Hellen Kamau said they were 84 passengers in both buses and about 40 were injured in the accident.

“I did not want to see the accident because it was bad. We are now somewhere between Dar-es-Salaam and Tanga but some of our members are dead,” Ms Kamau told the Standard Digital on the phone.

 

Police on the ground said the number of the dead may go up as there were many other people trapped under the bus.

Efforts to save the trapped were ongoing.

Kenyan police said preliminary findings showed there were about 80 members of the church who were headed for the event in the two buses.