15 perish in Dar, Morogoro accidents
DAILY NEWS Reporters
Daily News; Friday,January 30, 2009 @21:15
At least 15 people have died on the spot and 21 others injured in road and train accidents which occurred yesterday in Dar es Salaam and Morogoro regions. Nine people died and eleven others got seriously injured in a car accident that occurred in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Mr Suleiman Kova, said.
The accident occurred at around 4am along Nyerere Road at Jet area in Ilala district. According to Mr Kova, the accident involved three vehicles, a Scania with the registration numbers T 452 ACP that was heading towards Tazara from Jet, a Tipper Fuso (T 334 ADH) heading towards Tazara from the airport and a Hiace (T 700 AFT) which was heading towards Tazara from Kipawa butchery.
He said the Hiace, being driven by an unknown driver hit the Tipper Fuso which had earlier collided with the Scania. The nine people who died on the spot were passengers of the Hiace which they had hired. The deceased have been identified as; Ally Issa, Kabla Msambaza, Michael Maujiro, Augustino Yohana, Elly Athumani, Alifonsi Golesh, Maiko Msangila, John Stephen and one man whose name could not be identified immediately.
The RPC said the Scania that had earlier collided with the Fuso at a sharp corner of the main road caused injuries to Kalulu Lykole (35), Philemon Joram (26) and an unidentified lady who were in the Fuso lorry. Mr Kova named other people who were injured during the crash as Saimon Silvester (27), a resident of Gongolamboto, Eva Joseph (28) from Makongo Juu, Karunde Osambi (34) from Mwenge, Zamoyoni Mogella (36) from Mbezi Louis, Joshua Jumanne (29) and Alex Msuya (65) both from Buguruni.
Others are; Ratibu Abdalla (21), a resident of Ukonga, Emilly Stephen (40) from Mbagala and an unidentified man. They were admitted to Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) while the bodies of the deceased were preserved at the Muhimbili National Hospital mortuary. Speaking to ‘Daily News on Saturday' at MOI, Saimon Silvester (victim) said the cause of the accident was due to negligence of Hiace's driver.
He said the driver, suspected to have been drunk, was driving at a high speed. "We really complained about the speed…but the driver could not heed to it," he said adding that the driver had earlier claimed that he should not be directed on what to do since he was a professional driver. The MOI Senor Social Welfare Officer, Dr Mary Ochieng, said most of the injured people admitted to the hospital were in critical conditions and were therefore admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
According to Mr Kova, the Hiace was operating illegally as its licence expired since March 13, 2007. Information had it that the bus was operating only during nights. In Morogoro, six people died on the spot and 10 others injured in a train accident which occurred between Mzaganza and Kidete railway station at Kilosa district, Morogoro region. Police Commander of Railway Unit Yessaya Msigwa said the train which was heading to Dar es Salaam from upcountry regions crashed at the area around 1am yesterday.
He said the train overturned at Msaganza village and passengers were coming from an auction. Msigwa named the deceased as Said Pindupindu, Seif Bakar, Nassoro Mohammed, Jonas Lukanda and Abbas Kandoro, all businessmen from Kilosa and one person who could not be identified. He named the casualties as; Hamis Chamwitu, Seleman Mohamed, Sadic Monera, Esther Mbwambo and Asha Hamis, all residents of Morogoro and were admitted to Kilosa District hospital. Others also admitted to Kilosa District hospital are; Edward Athanas, Aziz Seleman, both residents of Dar es Salaam and Hamis Manyeleta, Hamis Selemani and Mecha Jackson, residents of Kilosa.