Tanzania has once again been plunged into mourning following a gruesome road accident in Morogoro Region that left nine people dead on the spot and 44 others severely injured in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The fatal crash occurred at Lugono Melala along the busy Morogoro–Iringa highway when a passenger bus branded with “Hai Campaign” insignia collided head-on with a lorry transporting sugar. The impact was catastrophic, leaving mangled wreckage and bodies strewn across the road.
According to Dr. Daniel Nkungu, the acting chief medical officer at Morogoro Regional Referral Hospital, the facility received nine bodies—comprising five men and four women—alongside dozens of injured survivors.
“We have also received 44 injured individuals, 37 of whom are adults and seven are children. Most have sustained fractures and other serious trauma, and they are currently undergoing emergency treatment,” Dr. Nkungu stated.
Authorities are working to identify all the victims. Four of the deceased have been confirmed through ID documents retrieved from their belongings. The remaining five bodies are being preserved at the hospital mortuary as relatives and officials continue with the identification process.
The Morogoro Regional Police Commander, Mr. Alex Mkama, is expected to issue an official statement detailing the circumstances and likely cause of the accident later today.
This latest tragedy comes barely days after a deadly pile-up in Mbeya Region, where 27 lives were lost instantly in a high-impact crash involving three vehicles along the notorious Iwambi downhill stretch. One additional victim succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment, raising the Mbeya death toll to 28.
The frequency and scale of these road disasters have triggered fresh public outcry over Tanzania’s worsening road safety crisis. Critics are now calling for urgent enforcement of traffic regulations, tighter vehicle inspections, and investment in safer transport infrastructure.
As the nation reels from back-to-back tragedies, questions continue to mount: How many more lives must be lost before decisive action is taken?