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16 perish in road accident
2006-09-26 08:51:50
By Patrick Kisembo
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The wreckage of a passenger bus with registration number T198 AAG, owned by Champion Bus Services, after it was involved in an accident at Kongowe in Kibaha District yesterday. (Photo: Selemani Mpochi) |
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Sixteen people died yesterday,15 of them on the spot, in a tragic road accident that involved a passenger bus christened ’Champion’, heading to Dodoma from Dar es Salaam.
According to eyewitnesses, scores of other passengers were seriously injured when the bus plunged into a deep valley when the driver, who was overtaking a saloon car, attempted to avoid a head on collision with an oncoming tanker.
Reached by telephone, the police said from the scene that the accident occurred in the morning at Kongowe village in Coast Region on the Dar es Salaam-Chalinze road, some 25 kilometres from Kibaha town.
’’After failing to control the bus, the driver,who also perished in the accident, swerved to avoid a head-on collision and plunged into the ditch, killing 16 passengers,’’ an eyewitness said.
Speaking to reporters, Coast Regional Assistant Police Commander ,SSP Ephraim Mrema said eight of the dead were women, six men and two children, while the injured were 41 people, 28 of them men and 13 women.
The bus is owned by S.O. Abdallah,a resident of Dodoma and had the capacity to carry 48 passengers.
SSP Mrema said,three of the injured passengers were transferred to Muhimbili National Hospital in critical conditions.
He mentioned the names of the injured and their places of domicile as Samwel Chisui (Dodoma), Seif Abdallah (Shinyanga), Ramadhani Mtawa (Zanzibar), Keneth Njovu (Dar es Salaam), Said Juma, Ezekiel Magayo (Dodoma), Masanja Shimba (Shinyanga)and Kamba Seme (Shinyanga).
Others are Majid Issa (Shinyanga), Mohammed Abeid (Bukene), Salim Nyorika (Kondoa), Twaha Omari (Dar es Salaam), Deus Chichi (Dodoma), Bernad Ngabangwa, Ezra Lubolubo, Huruma Msemwa, Bruno Stanford, Said Kassim (Shinyanga) and Nassoro Juma.
Other injured passengers were Mbwana Tangalala, Maneno Hamis (Gezaulole), Abdul Shariff, Yusuf Salum (Temeke), Jonathan Chungu, Jackson Christopher, Feruz Ramadhan ( Dar es Salaam), Mathayo Anthony, and a small child whose name could not be identified.
SSP Mrema mentioned the other injured passengers as Mwazani Rajabu (Gezaulole), Mary Mayalima (Morogoro), Esther Mnyanyika (Dodoma), Rose John (Dodoma), Janeth Majuto (Dodoma), Sophia Tupa (Morogoro) and Mwasiti Salum (Dodoma).
Others are Stella Mwakabenga (Mbeya), Chiku Juma ( Dodoma), Zamzam Salum (Dodoma), Asha Tuma( child), Emiliana Jackson (Dodoma) and Lucia Salehe.
Speaking with The Guardian at Tumbi Hospital, some of the injured passengers said the bus was speeding when the accident occurred.
In another development, Zena Rashid, a resident of Misugusugu was arrested by the police after she was suspected of stealing from the scene of accident.
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