A horrific bus-train collision in Dodoma has claimed at least 13 lives and left 32 others seriously injured in Manyoni, Singida region, Central Tanzania.

This tragic accident happened when a bus operated by Ally’s Star Company collided with a freight train at an intersection between a road and a railway line in the wee hours of the morning of Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

According to the Singida Police Commander, Stellah Mutahibirwa, the bus had 57 passengers on board and was heading to Mwanza, a major port at Lake Victoria in Kisumu, Kenya, from the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam.

Mutahibirwa said preliminary reports indicate that the bus driver was careless and simply drove through the railway crossing without observing the traffic lights at the intersection, which resulted in the tragic head-on collision with the train engine running its regular shunting work.

“The number of deaths could rise as most of the 32 injured passengers are in critical condition,” Mutahibirwa said.

She also said that the injured passengers are at Manyoni District Hospital, where they are being attended to and closely monitored by medical personnel.

“There are now worries over road safety measures and the necessity for more stringent enforcement of traffic restrictions as a result of this collision, which shocked the local community and the transportation sector,” she added.

The authorities have urged motorists to exercise caution and adhere to traffic rules to avoid future disasters.