WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — A man and a teenage boy were on Tuesday knocked dead by a fuel truck near Gisenyi Main Hospital. The truck bearing Tanzanian number plates is said to have veered off the road due to brake failure before hitting the two pedestrians.

Eye witnesses said the truck loaded with benzene, heading to the DR Congo’s town of Goma from Kigali, was going uphill towards Gisenyi town before it overturned.

The names of the deceased were not readily available but one of the victims was a man estimated to be in his 30s while the second victim was a teenage boy estimated to be about 14 years old.

The truck driver, only identified as James, who is currently admitted at the Gisenyi Hospital confirmed that the truck over turned after experiencing brake failure. He sustained serious injuries ot both legs.

Meanwhile, hours before police arrived, scores of residents flocked the accident scene with containers to fill with fuel which was flowing out of the truck.

The Rubavu district Police Commander, Chief Inspector Ernest Murayire, condemned the residents warning them against such behaviour.

"The stolen fuel is not petrol or diesel like many people thought. The truck was carrying Benzene, used by planes in Goma, the use of that fuel might be dangerous to people’s vehicles since it is meant for planes not cars,” he said explaining that the truck was carrying benzene in the two containers and diesel in a third container which were mixed up after the accident.

Murayire warned residents not to buy any fuel being sold on the black market, saying it could be dangerous not only to their cars but also their lives. He called upon drivers to drive cautiously in order to prevent accidents especially during the upcoming festive season.

"Drivers should be careful because this is a rainy season and the road reconstruction by Strabag which has reached Gisenyi town also makes the road slippery and can cause accidents in case of over speeding,” warned Murayire.

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