No fewer than 22 people have been confirmed dead after a bus crashed into a lorry in eastern Tanzania, the presidency has disclosed.
In a statement by the Presidency which was sighted by Africa Today News, New York, it was reported that the accident also injured 38 people.
A police chief in the eastern region of Morogoro, Fortunatus Muslim, said the accident occurred in Melela Kibaoni, some 200 kilometres (120 miles) west of the coastal city and economic hub Dar es Salaam.
Read Also: Confusion As India ‘Accidentally’ Fires Missile Into Pakistan
He said the lorry left its lane to overtake a motorbike.
“The truck driver, who was heading from the Dar es Salaam port to the Democratic Republic of Congo, was overtaking a motorbike when the two vehicles collided head-on,” he said.
The bus was travelling in the other direction from the western city of Mbeya to the coastal city of Tanga, he added.
President Samia Suluhu presented her condolences on Twitter, and urged “road users to adhere to traffic rules”.
Africa Today News, New York had recently reported that President Samia Suluhu Hassan had announced the pardon of no fewer than 5,000 prisoners following the East African country’s Union Day celebration.
President Samia urged the released inmates to put into practice the lessons they learnt in prison and lead responsible lives when re-joining their communities.
Union Day which is commemorated annually marks the coming together of Tanganyika and Zanzibar to form the Republic of Tanzania on 26 of April 1964.
Pardoning prisoners on Union Day is an annual tradition ever since the event was instituted.
Last year, the late President John Magufuli pardoned 3,973 prisoners in order to ease congestion in prisons.
Africa Today News, New York reports that no fewer than 35,000 prisoners are reported to be in the country’s jails.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK