Funeral for Tanzania schoolchildren killed in bus crash

Hundreds of mourners are attending the funeral service of 32 school pupils who were killed, along with two teachers and their driver, in a bus crash in northern Tanzania on Saturday.

Relatives of the dead were overcome by emotion at the service, being held at a stadium in Arusha city. Some wept, and others fainted. They were rushed to the first aid tent or taken to nearby hospitals.

The government is paying for the expenses of the funeral, including buying coffins and arranging transport.

Vice-President Mohamed Gharib Bilal is leading the government delegation at the funeral.
Officials said the bus plunged off the road in a steep ravine near the town of Karatu.

The final year pupils from the Lucky Vincent school – believed to be aged between 12 and 14 – were on their way to take mock exams when the accident happened on Saturday morning.