President Samia mourns victims of Arusha road crash

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has conveyed her heartfelt condolences to Arusha Regional Commissioner, John Mongella, following a tragic accident that occurred on Saturday, February 24, 2024, claiming the lives of 25 people and leaving 21 others injured.

The accident, which occurred at 11:00 pm in the Kibaoni (Ngaramtoni) area of Orolieni, Arumeru district, involved four vehicles: a lorry belonging to KAY Construction Company of Nairobi, Kenya, which was traveling from Namanga to Arusha, a Nissan Caravan, a Mercedes Benz Saloon, and a Toyota Coaster belonging to New Vision English Medium School, which was carrying foreign nationals working as volunteers.

According to Arusha Region Assistant Police Commissioner, Justine Masejo, 11 of the deceased were women, including a young girl, and 14 were men. The foreign nationals came from seven countries: Kenya, Togo, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Nigeria, and the US.

The 21 casualties include foreign nationals from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Switzerland, the UK, Cameroon, Mali, and Hawaii.

SACP Masejo further detailed that the cause of the accident was the failure of the lorry's brake system, causing it to collide with the other vehicles in front of it.

According to the official message released by the Director of Presidential Communications to the press, President Hassan extends her condolences to the families of the victims during this difficult time and wishes a speedy recovery to the casualties, praying for the peaceful repose of the souls of the deceased.