Tabora. Seven people have died and ten seriously injured in a road accident after their truck overturned at Nanga Village, Igunga District in Tabora Region.
Tabora regional Police commander Khamis Selemani said preliminary investigations showed that the cause of the accident was rear wheel burst while speeding.
The crash occurred along the Igunga to Singida road at 9pm on Friday.
He said, the truck driver, Mr Joseph Masali, escaped into the unknown immediately after the accident.
According to the RPC, the driver had violated traffic rules by carrying passengers and cargo on board.
The medical officer in-charge at Igunga District Hospital, Dr Abdallah Ombeni, said the hospital received six bodies and 11 injured persons. He added that another person died while receiving treatment. “We received six bodies and 11 injured people, another person died at the hospital as we were trying to save his life,” he said.
The doctor named the deceased as including Masesa Sagalali, Omary Rajabu, Shabani Ibrahimu, Sagalali Maige, Selestine Lipande, Juma Iddi and another who was identified by only one name as James.
He said ten injured persons were still undergoing treatment at the hospital and their conditions were improving.
One of the survivors, Mr Juma Hassan, said the cause of the accident was speeding that caused the driver to fail to control the truck after a burst in its rear wheel.
Meanwhile, the RPC warned truck drivers not to carry passengers because the vehicles were not made for that purpose and it was illegal.
“Legal measures will be taken against all who would be caught carrying passengers in trucks,” he said.
The Citizen