Tanzanian bus plunges into river, 54 killed

At least 54 were killed on Saturday when an overloaded bus plunged into a river in northern Tanzania.

At least 54 people were killed on Saturday when an overloaded bus plunged into a river in northern Tanzania, bringing the death toll from mass fatality traffic accidents in the region this week to at least 82.

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The bus, going from the town of Melerani to Arusha, spun out of control on a bridge and toppled into the Malala river at Makumira about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from its destination, killing victims. They included women and children, police said.

Regional police chief Basilio Matei told that at least 54 of the 74 passengers believed to be on the bus, which had a seating capacity of only 26, had died.

The accident was the second mass fatality traffic incident in northern Tanzania this week, following the deaths of at least 28 people on Tuesday when a speeding cargo truck on which they were riding overturned.

Road accidents are common in the east African nation and police usually blame them on rampant violations of the traffic regulations, poor road or vehicle conditions and exhaustion among long-distance drivers.