Twenty-one people were killed and five others were injured when a passenger bus collided with a cargo lorry on the Iringa–Mbeya highway in southern Tanzania in the early hours of Monday, 9 November 2026.

Police said the crash happened at about 1am at Njiapanda ya Kiponzelo, in Kiponzelo Division in Iringa Region. All 21 victims died at the scene. They included ten men, nine women and two boys aged between three and five. The five survivors were taken to hospital for treatment.

The bus belonged to Maokoto Bus Services and was travelling from Wasa village towards the town of Iringa. The lorry, a Scania truck with a trailer, was heading in the opposite direction towards the Democratic Republic of Congo.

What police say happened

According to Tanzania Police, the bus entered the highway without taking enough care and struck the oncoming truck. The bus was a Fuso registered T 892 DRE, while the truck and its trailer were registered T 859 DVK and T 495 DCA. The truck was driven by Gabon Masele, of Keko in Dar es Salaam.

Police identified the bus driver’s failure to exercise caution when joining the highway as the cause of the crash. Officers urged motorists to follow traffic rules and to take care when entering busy roads, so that further loss of life can be avoided.

President sends condolences

President Samia Suluhu Hassan sent a message of condolence to Iringa Regional Commissioner Kheri James and to the families of the victims. In her statement, she said she had received the news of the accident with great sadness and asked the bereaved families, and all those affected, to remain strong and patient during their time of mourning. “I have received with great sadness the news of the accident that has claimed so many lives,” she said. “I ask the families who have lost their loved ones, and all those impacted, to remain strong and patient during this difficult time of mourning.” She also prayed for the speedy recovery of the five injured survivors.

The Iringa–Mbeya highway is a major transport link for Tanzania’s southern highlands, connecting the region with the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. The crash is among the latest in a series of severe road incidents on the frequently travelled corridor, and it has renewed attention on road safety on the route.

Traffic police were continuing their inquiries into the full circumstances of the collision. Further details about the victims, including the completion of identification and funeral arrangements, were expected to follow from the authorities in Iringa. Read the full police account in the Kenya Today report and the president’s message in Tanzania Insight.