KILIMANJARO REGION, Tanzania – At least 37 people were killed and more than 30 others injured when two passenger buses collided and burst into flames in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro Region on Sunday, in what is being described as one of the country’s deadliest road accidents in recent years.
The crash occurred in the Sabasaba area along the Moshi–Tanga highway, a critical road corridor in northern Tanzania. Both buses were traveling at high speed when the collision happened.
Passengers were trapped inside as the vehicles caught fire, reducing one bus to charred metal within minutes, according to local police and eyewitness accounts.
The Associated Press reported that the death toll could be as high as 40, with some victims burned beyond recognition.
Rescue workers and local residents rushed to the scene, using fire extinguishers and water containers in a desperate attempt to quell the flames and free trapped passengers, AP report
President Samia Suluhu Hassan issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
She called for tougher enforcement of road safety regulations and directed relevant agencies to investigate the cause of the collision.
“I am heartbroken by the loss of life,” the president wrote on her official X (formerly Twitter) account. “We must strengthen our commitment to road safety and ensure such tragedies are prevented.”
Tanzanian authorities have launched an investigation, focusing on possible speeding, mechanical failure, or driver fatigue.
Preliminary reports suggest that one of the buses may have been attempting to overtake a truck when it veered into oncoming traffic.
According to The Citizen, many of the victims were heading to Moshi for the annual Saba Saba trade fair. Local hospitals, including Mawenzi Regional Hospital, were overwhelmed by the number of injured brought in with burns, fractures, and blunt trauma injuries, per The Citizen coverage
Road accidents are a persistent issue in Tanzania, where lax enforcement of traffic rules, poor vehicle maintenance, and inadequate infrastructure contribute to thousands of deaths annually.
In 2023 alone, over 3,000 road fatalities were recorded, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa visited the crash site Monday morning and pledged swift government action, including audits of long-distance bus operators and expanded roadside inspection patrols.
“This is a wake-up call,” Mbarawa said. “We must not normalize this level of carnage.”
As rescue crews continued to clear the wreckage, somber residents gathered to mourn.
Many families waited outside hospitals and morgues, hoping to identify missing loved ones.
“This wasn’t just an accident,” said Rehema Mtei, a local teacher who lost her cousin in the fire. “It was a tragedy born of neglect — and it keeps happening.”
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