Rwandan Oil Tanker hits Tanzanian police van killing 12 people, including officers and their Prisoners

At least 12 people including 5 police officers perished when their vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming oil tanker in Singida Region.

Reports have that the police pick-up truck, a Toyota Landcruiser was carrying more than 12 people onboard.

There were 5 cops and 8 suspects were facing various trials in court.

The dark-blue police vehicle was badly damaged.

It is being feared that all the people who were in the police vehicle died on spot.

“There were 13 people in the police vehicle, including 8 people under custody and 5 cops,” said an eyewitness.

The accident occurred along the road intersection at the Sekenke Hill escarpment in the Iramba District of Singida Region on Monday, the 21^st of September 2026.

The Iramba District Commissioner, Suleiman Mwenda who was speaking at the scene of the accident, explained that the oil tanker was transporting diesel fuel from the Port of Dar-es-Salaam, heading to Kigali, Rwanda.

The Police Landcruiser was on the other hand, transporting criminal suspects from the Shelui Police Station to attend trials at the Iramba District Magistrate Court located in the Kiomboi area.

They all died before reaching the court. Bodies of the victims were still on the roadside by the time we went to press.

The tanker also overturned after hitting the police truck.

The driver of the tanker which was involved in the accident was rescued together with his assistant.

Until now the main cause of the accident remains unknown.

​However some people say the lorry driver lost control of the tanker after brakes failed.

Others believe that the Police vehicle was at high speed and swerved into the tanker.

The Sekenke Hill of Singida is historically known to be an accident-prone highway spot.