At least 29 primary schoolchildren, two teachers and a driver died in a bus crash in northern Tanzania on Saturday.
The grisly accident occurred at around 9am when the bus went off the road and into the Marera river gorge in Karatu district, about 150 kilometres from the northern city of Arusha.
“It’s a huge tragedy,” said Innocent Mushi, director of the Lucky Vincent Primary School in Arusha, which the children attended. The dead included 12 boys and 17 girls, he said.
At least three survivors were pulled from the crash site by rescuers and rushed to hospital.
The final year primary pupils — aged between 12 and 14 years — were on their way to sit mock examinations ahead of seeking places at secondary school.
President John Magufuli sent his condolences to the families of the dead.
“This accident extinguishes the dreams of these children who were preparing to serve the nation, it is an immense pain for the families involved and for the whole nation,” Magufuli said in a statement.
Source: AFP
