The death toll from a road accident involving a trailer from Nairobi and three other vehicles in Arusha, Tanzania, has reached 25.

The truck that was involved in the tragic accident had registration number KAC943H with a trailer number ZF6778 belonging to Kay construction company in Nairobi. 

Other vehicles that were crushed during the accident include Nissan Caravan (T623 CQF), a Mercedes Benz (T879 DBY) and a Toyota Coaster (T673 DEW).  

21 other people were seriously injured during the accident that occurred along the Namanga – Arusha highway on Saturday February 24, 2024. 

Those who were injured were admitted to Mount Meru Referral Hospital in Arusha, as bodies of the deceased were moved to the mortuary at the same health facility.

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According to Tanzania’s police commissioner for training and operations Juma Haji, 11 women including a young girl perished during the accident. 

Haji added that out of the 25 people who were confirmed dead, 7 were foreign nationals.

“The number of those injured is 21, of whom 14 are men and 7 are women,” said the police commissioner.

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He explained that the cause of the accident is still unknown but preliminary police investigations revealed that the trailer had brake failure as it rammed into the three vehicles. 

Meanwhile, police are still searching for the driver of the trailer, who escaped immediately after the accident.

At the same time, Arusha Regional police commander Justine Masejo noted that police are still investigating the matter to establish the real cause of the accident, as the search for the truck driver continues.

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