Tanzania school resumes after medical evacuation of only 3 bus crash survivors

The Lucky Vincent English-Medium School in Tanzania’s Arusha city has resumed classes on Monday after the only three survivors of their fatal school bus accident early this month were airlifted to the United States for treatment.

32 pupils, two teachers and a driver of the school were killed when their bus skidded off a hilly road and fell into a river on May 6 near Karatu in northern Tanzania on their way to write an examination.

The three survivors – Doreen Elibariki (13), Saida Awadh (11) and Wilson Tarimo (11) – were flown to the city of Iowa on Sunday facilitated by Christian NGO Siouxland Tanzania Educational and Medical Ministries (STEMM).

The government has organised a counseling programme for students of the school who resumed classes on Monday since the institution was closed down a day after the accident.

“We are still discussing with them the modalities on which counseling will be carried out,” the head teacher Ephraim Jackson told local media.

“It is still a difficult time for us but our commitment to serve the society remains. We continue to pray to God for what happened,” he added.

Bereaved families have been promised some compensation after the government held a national funeral for the students.

The country’s legislature had also donated 100 million shillings ($44,700) to families of the victims.