Bus collision in northern Tanzania kills 37, injures 79

USPA News - At least 37 people were killed Friday and nearly 80 others were injured when two passenger buses collided head-on in northern Tanzania, making it the country`s worst road accident in years, officials said on Saturday. It is feared the death toll could rise.

The accident happened at around 11 a.m. local time on Friday when two buses collided head-on as they tried to avoid an overtaking car on a road near the town of Butiama, located in the northern region of Mara near the border with Kenya. The overtaking car fell off a bridge and into the water below. Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, expressing shock over the accident, confirmed 37 people were killed while 79 others were injured, including two local journalists. Regional police said at least 19 of those injured were in a critical condition, which means the death toll could increase further. It was not immediately clear whether the driver of the car was among those killed or injured. One of the two buses was traveling to the city of Mwanza, which is located on the southern shores of Lake Victoria, while the other was traveling from Mwanza to the city of Musoma, which sits on the eastern edge of the lake. The site of the crash is about 815 kilometers (506 miles) northwest of Dar es Salaam. Traffic accidents are common in Tanzania, where most people rely on buses for transportation between cities. At least 3,642 people were killed and more than 18,800 others were injured in some 21,700 accidents across Tanzania between January and November 2013, according to official figures.