15 killed, 11 hurt in Mbeya road smash

Fifteen people died and 11 were seriously hurt in a road smash in Mbozi, Mbeya Region, involving a lorry loaded with bricks and a commuter minibus.

Mbeya Regional Police Commander Suleiman Kova said the accident occurred at around 6.00pm on Saturday when a lorry with registration number T922AGT rammed into the minibus.

He identified the driver of the lorry as Elipamphrey Samky of Dar es Salaam, adding that the minibus was leaving Nanyala bus stop in Mbozi and the crash occurred on the Tunduma highway.

The RPC named the deceased as including Friday Siwakwi (23), who was the conductor of the minibus, Atupakisye Sege, Salum Ramadhani, Frank Mwasege, Wiliam Mtani and Hussein Amani.

Also killed were Elizabeth Mwakalukwa, John Poles, Reverend Ngwilima, Andrew Mwalukama, Salome Mgala, and four other people yet to be identified.

The survivors include Veronica George, Lucy Ndenga, Upendo Isaya, Salome Mgala, Amani Mwasanga, Hezron Masawe, Amani Saleh and the driver of the minibus, Remijo John.

Some of these are admitted at the Mbeya Referral Hospital and others to the Ifisi Designated Hospital at Mbalizi, just outside Mbeya city, while yet others received treatment and discharged yesterday morning.

Kova said preliminary police investigations show that the lorry developed brake failure, making its driver (Samky) lose control.

He added: `The lorry hit the minibus from behind, killing seven people on the spot, while eight others died while undergoing treatment at the Mbeya Referral Hospital.

Injured survivors in critical condition were taken to the referral hospital and others to Ifisi hospital.`

Speaking from his hospital bed, driver Samky admitted that his lorry developed brake problems while approaching the Nanyala bus stop.

`I tried to steer clear of the oncoming minibus but it was too fast and too late,` he explained.

Remijo John, the driver of the accident minibus, meanwhile said the only thing he could remember was hearing a bang behind his vehicle.

`I did not notice the lorry that hit us from behind because I fell unconscious, only to come to my senses later in hospital,` he added.

Mbeya Region has recorded five tragic road crashes this year in which several people have been killed and scores injured, including a recent one that saw a lorry ram into a house and kill three people.