Arusha residents took a moment to bid farewell to eight students who tragically lost their lives in an accident on April 12, 2024. The incident occurred when the Ghati Memorial school bus driver attempted to cross a flooded ditch at the Dampo area in Muriet ward, resulting in a devastating outcome.
The public funeral procession for the victims was held at Sinoni Secondary School on April 14, 2024. The names of the deceased students are Abigael P Shayo (10), Abi Albon P. Shayo (4), Winfrida E Reuben (4), Noela J Kivuyo (3), Daylan J Kibir (3), Shedrack William (8), Morgan E Mushi (3), and Altricia E. Mushi (8).
Brian Tarangie (34), who lost his life while attempting to rescue the students, was also posthumously honored as a national hero by the government. The government provided financial support of Sh. 5,000,000/= to his family in recognition of his bravery and sacrifice.
The accident occurred after the driver disregarded warnings from multiple sources about the heavy rain and flooding in the area. Attempting to navigate the bridge over the flooded ditch, the driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the tragic outcome.
The Arusha incident is part of a larger pattern of devastation caused by heavy rainfall in Tanzania. As of April 14, 2024, the government reported a total of 58 deaths since April 01, 2024, attributed to the ongoing heavy downpours. Deaths were reported in various regions including Arusha (10), Dar es Salaam (2), Geita (4), Iringa (5), Kilimanjaro (1), Lindi (4), Mbeya (6), Morogoro (5), Pwani (11), and Rukwa (10).
Government spokesperson, Mobhare Matinyi, highlighted Morogoro and the Coastal region as the hardest-hit areas. In the Coastal region, 17 wards in Kibiti and Rufiji were severely affected, while in Morogoro, 50 wards suffered significant impact, destroying 8532 houses and 76,698 hectares of farmland in these regions.
In his report on April 14, 2024, which indicated about 10,839 households are affected, Mr. Matinyi said the government has started to provide emergency care to the affected people in the two regions.
“The government has established eight temporary camps for the affected, seven camps are in the Coastal region with 1,394 people and one camp is in Morogoro with 135 people,” he said.
