A fatal accident in Kayonza District claimed three lives and injured several others, on Tuesday afternoon.

The accident occured when a Tanzanian registered trailer collided head-on with a Rwandan registered pick-up in Kayonza town near Rusumo-Nyagatare and Kigali road junction. The victims included by-standers and pedestrians walking along the highway. 

"The pick-up was trying to overtake another vehicle and ran over two by-standers,” said a witness only identified as Geoffrey.

According to Damascene Ndagijimana, another eyewitness, the two trucks after the collision rammed into a taxi, injuring two people including the driver.

Ndagijimana said it took the intervention of residents and the police to pull out the victims’ bodies from the wreckage.

"The bodies of the victims were mutilated. Rescuers had to cut through the wreckage to save them,” the eyewitness said.

Both the dead and the victims were rushed to Rwinkwavu Hospital. 

The Governor of Eastern Province, Odette Uwamariya, who was among a team of rescuers warned drivers against reckless driving.

"Most accidents are caused by speeding. We urge police to deploy heavily on the roads to ensure that motorists comply with the speed limit,” Uwamariya said.

She urged motorists and passengers to join the campaign to ensure accident free roads.

"We must do everything possible to fight accidents on our roads. It is evident that the two vehicles involved were speeding,” she said.