SEVEN people died and several others injured in two road accidents yesterday in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region.

SEVEN people died and several others injured in two road accidents yesterday in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region.

Kasilda Mgeni, the district commissioner, said a Toyota Coaster, carrying 29 choir members, lost control after failure in the steering system, causing the vehicle to roll down a hill. 

Six choir members died instantly, and 23 others were injured, some critically, in the first incident involved a bus carrying members of the Chome parish choir of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania (ELCT), she stated.

It crashed while en route to a church service in Vudee Parish, while later another fatal accident occurred when an Osaka bus traveling from Moshi to Dar es Salaam lost control while speeding, overturning in the Njoro area in the district, resulting in one death and 52 injuries.

"This is a heart breaking day for our community, and we mourn not only the loss of our beloved choir members but also the life lost in the second accident," the DC said. "Our prayers and support are with the victims and their families."

Preliminary investigations indicate that mechanical failure tied with human error contributed to both crashes, as the DC noted that in the Osaka bus accident, the driver is suspected of speeding, while a malfunction in the bus steering system also occurred.

A major concern is ensuring that vehicles used for long-distance travel are serviced prior to commencing journeys to prevent breakdowns, she said, vowing government commitment to improving road safety.

This will be done by tightening vehicle inspection procedures and raising awareness about safe driving, she stated, while Dr Alex Alexander, the district medical officer, affirmed that victims of the first accident were received at the district hospital around eight in the morning while 23 other injured persons along with the bodies of the six deceased, were brought to the hospital later in the afternoon.

Some survivors of the Osaka accident said speeding caused the crash as the driver lost control of the vehicle, while people were under shock as the tragedy is not the first to affect the ELCT choir members.

Just five months ago on October 22 five members of the Wazo Hill parish choir from the ELCT Eastern and Coastal Diocese were killed in a similar accident on their way to attend the funeral of another choir member.

The crash occurred when their bus lost control and crashed into a culvert near Kirinjiko in the district, they recalled.