TEN people died in a head-on collision between a Noah van and a passenger bus at Kibaoni village, Rombo District, Kilimanjaro Region on Thursday.

SACP Simon Maigwa, the regional police commander, told journalists yesterday that nine people died in the spot while one person later succumbed to injuries in hospital.

He said the accident was caused by reckless driving by the van driver, trying w to overtake another vehicle without caution.

The crash occurred just before four o’clock in the afternoon along the Moshi-Tarakea road, with the van belonging to Ngessere Co. travelling from Dodoma to Tarakea, collided with a small passenger vehicle.

The latter was travelling from Tarakea to Moshi, resulting in the deaths of nine people in the Noah vehicle, he explained.

Six of the deceased have been identified while three others remain unknown, he said, listing those who were identified as Mamasita Lowasa (27) from Kamwanga, Damarisi Kanini Mwikau (22) from Elasti in Kenya, and Monica Mumbua (64), also from Kenya.

Others are one Liberatus (24), Peter Urio (38) and Eligatanasi Kanje (30) from Tarakea.

Raymond Mwangwala, the Rombo district commissioner, confirmed the incident, stating that the bodies were taken to Karume Hospital mortuary for preservation.

An injured survivor was rushed to Huruma Hospital for treatment, he said, pointing out that the accident occurred when the van, travelling from Tarakea, overtook a truck and collided with the bus.

"I pray for the souls of the deceased to rest in peace. My deepest condolences go to the grieving families, relatives, and friends, and I wish a swift recovery to those still injured," the DC intoned.

He also urged drivers to exercise greater caution and vigilance on the roads, while the police force need to closely enforce road safety regulations during the end-of-year rush period.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan posted a message on social media to express grief and console affected families mourning the loss of their loved ones.