A TANKER in the fleet of several others that are ferrying fuel from the port of Dar-es-Salaam yesterday collided with a bus on the Great North Road, killing 18 people on the spot and leaving 47 others with serious injuries.

Police spokesperson, Bonnie Kapeso said the fatal accident happened yesterday morning in Matumbo area in Chinsali District.

Mr Kapeso said the Scania Marcopolo bus, registration number ABL 2284, was coming from Kitwe when it collided with the on-coming tanker, registration number T362 and trailer registration number T742 that was traveling from Nakonde.

The Government hired Dalbit Petroleum of Kenya to import 25 million litres of diesel and 15 million litres of petrol for Zambia via the Tanzanian port of Dar-es-Salaam to avert a fuel crisis following last month's shutdown of Indeni Petroleum Refinery for maintenance.

Kuwait's Independent Petroleum Group (IPG) was also asked to import the finished petroleum products in the same quantities and oil marketing companies were requested to import more fuel leading to a marked increase of fuel tankers on the roads.

Indeni Petroleum Refinery, which was shut down for maintenance, has resumed production but Energy Minister, Kenneth Konga said output was only expected to return to normal by the coming weekend.

Mr Kapeso said of the 18 people who died, 11 were male and the rest were females.

The bodies of the deceased were taken to Chinsali District Hospital Mortuary while 47 passengers who were injured were admitted to the same hospital.

Mr Kapeso said it had not yet been established whether the drivers of the two motor vehicles were among the dead.

Chinsali District Commissioner, Frank Bowa said the health facilities in the district were overwhelmed and failing to cope with the demand for mortuary and medical services from the accident victims.

"The morgue at the Chinsali District Hospital is full such that we are making arrangements to transport some of the dead to Kasama General Hospital mortuary and some of the most critical patients will also be transported to Kasama," he said.

Mr Bowa said it was difficult to identify some of the dead because the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. Some bodies in the mortuary were dismembered during the accident in which the bus overturned and trapped passengers.

By press time, police and Road Traffic and Safety Agency personnel were trying to remove the mangled bus and truck from the accident scene.