A fatal collision between an ambulance and a three-wheeled motorcycle in Tanzania’s southern highlands claimed seven lives and injured 15 others on Saturday, authorities confirmed.
The crash occurred at 6:00 a.m. local time in Mufindi District, part of the Iringa region, according to District Commissioner Linda Salekwa.
Salekwa, speaking to Xinhua by phone, said preliminary reports indicated the motorcycle victims were en route to a farm when the accident unfolded. While she could not confirm whether fatalities included ambulance occupants, she emphasized that an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause.
Road accidents remain a critical public safety issue in Tanzania, where factors such as inadequate infrastructure, vehicle overloading, and inconsistent traffic enforcement contribute to high fatality rates. The World Health Organization estimates Tanzania’s road traffic death rate at 29.2 per 100,000 people nearly double the global average.
This incident echoes recurring tragedies on the country’s roads. In 2022, a bus collision in the Morogoro region killed 24, spotlighting risks posed by long-distance travel and aging vehicles. While Tanzania’s government has pledged stricter traffic laws and road upgrades, implementation gaps persist, particularly in rural areas like Mufindi.
Authorities have yet to disclose further details, including the ambulance’s destination or whether emergency protocols were followed. As communities mourn the victims, the crash underscores urgent calls for enhanced road safety measures and improved emergency response systems to mitigate such disasters.
