By Frank Kamuntu
The government of Tanzania has announced a mourning period of three days to remember the death of at least 60 people who were burnt to death on Saturday, after a fuel tank overturned and exploded in Morogoro.
President John Pombe Magufuli on Monday declared three days of national mourning for victims of the fuel tanker explosion. According to the press conference addressed by Magufuli, during the three days of mourning, all national flags will be hoisted at half-mast from Saturday 10th August. In that period, all flags will fly at half-mast,” read the press statement by the Director of Communications at State House.
The accident happened in the city of Morogoro which is a major route for transporting cargo and fuel from the port city of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital.
Footage from the scene showed the truck engulfed in fierce flames and huge clouds of black smoke with burnt several bodies lying on the ground.
Initial media reports had put at 60 the number of people who died in the accident while 70 others were reported to have sustained serious injuries.
According to the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, On Sunday, the death toll from the tragedy rose to 71 after more victims succumbed to their injuries, and according to Jenista Mhagama, the Minister of State in the Prime Ministers’ office, the Tanzanian government will take care of all those who were affected by the tragedy.
A team has also been constituted to oversee the identification of the bodies while family and friends are gathering at Morogoro Secondary School grounds to offer their DNA samples for easier identification of the bodies.
