Tanzania road crash leaves 24 dead

NAIROBI: Twenty-four people died after a bus collided with a truck in eastern Tanzania on Saturday evening, according to a witness and press reports.

"A public transport minibus collided with a truck in Mparanga, in the Mkuranga district," witness John Nyoni told AFP by telephone. "We were able to count with 24 dead and 10 wounded," he added.

The Mwananchi daily was among local media to report the crash, quoting police commander Mohamed Likwata. He said the 10 wounded were taken to the Muhimbili National Hospital in the economic capital Dar es Salaam, according to Mwananchi. Road accidents in Tanzania are common, often due to speeding, overloading of vehicles, poor road and vehicle conditions, but also lax road safety enforcement by police.