Van overturns and catches fire killing five, injuring three

Mtwara. Five people have died, including a nursery school pupil, while three others are nursing injuries after their car veered off the road, overturned and caught fire.

Briefing journalists on Thursday, June 28, 2018, Mtwara Regional Police Commander (RPC) Lucas Mkondya said the accident occurred around 4am at Chingweje Village in Nanyumbu District in the region.

He said the fire completely burned three out of the five people who were killed by the accident to an extent that they could not be recognised.

Mr Mkondya said only the driver was identified as Babuu Maroro.

"The accident occurred after the Toyota Noah driver failed to control the car as he drove through a sharp slope and corner,” he said.

“The car lost direction, veered off the road, overturned before catching fire and killing five people and injuring three others,” he added.

He said two people could not be recognized, while the remaining three could still be recognised in spite of sustaining severe burns.

Mr Mkondya said the bodies of the deceased have been preserved at Masasi District Hospital in Mkomaindo.

He named the injured people as Daria Bushiri (30), a resident of Masuguru; and Afkam Ling'ande (4) as well as the conductor who is also admitted at the Masasi District Hospital-Mkomaindo.

However, the regional police boss said law enforcers were holding the conductor for interrogation, even though preliminary investigations showsed that the cause of the accident was speeding.