A little girl aged about one-and-a-half was among those who survived Tuesday's collision involving two buses, which killed 25 people in Handeni District.

However, nobody claimed the toddler after the accident, prompting fears that the person or people who were with her in one of the buses either died or were among those who were critically injured.

The toddler was still admitted with minor injuries at Bombo Hospital in Tanga yesterday. The little girl was among 52 people injured in the crash, which killed 22 people on the spot. Two people died as they were being taken to hospital on Tuesday, while another casualty died in hospital yesterday, taking to 25 the number of people

who died as a result of the accident. The collision near Kitumbi Village on the busy Chalinze- Segera highway involved a Chatco Limited bus travelling to Dar es Salaam from Arusha and a bus christened "Nzuri" travelling from Dar es Salaam to Hedaru Town in Kilimanjaro Region. Wailing filled the air at Bombo Hospital as distraught relatives identified the bodies of the dead. Most of the bodies were badly mutilated, making identification difficult.

The little survivor remained calm, trying to make sense of the commotion around her. Neither her name nor that of her carer could be immediately established, as the little girl had apparently not yet learnt to speak.

"We can only hope her parent or parents are safe, and not among those who died," a nurse at the hospital said.

No one had come forward to claim her by yesterday afternoon. Doctors said the toddler only suffered a bruise on the forehead and tests confirmed she did not suffer any serious internal injuries. They said the girl would be taken to the regional office of the social service department, which would look after her until her relatives came forward to identify her.

Meanwhile, police yesterday blamed the accident on speeding and recklessness. The collision happened when one of the buses swerved to avoid a lorry parked on the road. Police were yesterday holding one of the drivers for questioning.

Tanga regional police boss Simon Siro said the dead included an unidentified lboy aged about one-and-a-half. Others are Karim Patricat Kwangahu, Hamida Ibrahim Mwanga, 50, of Same; Chatco bus conductor Abdallah Hassan Mvungi, 24, of Mwanga; Upendo Omari of Kihurio Jitengeni, Same; Bakari Abdallah Jambia, 40, of Dar es Salaam and Zuberi Semkiwa, 30, of Korogwe, who was a conductor of one of the buses.

Others are Major John Malimi Holela, 43, of the TPDF, Buguruni, Dar es Salaam; Vera Kinabo, 41, a businesswoman from Arusha; Mickidadi Senkondo, 60, a businessman from Sinza, Dar es Salaam; Urban Tambo, 33, an electrician from Kimara, Dar es Salaam, and Sultan Yahya Sultan, 41, a resident of Manzese Uzuri; and a conductor of Chatco bus, Bahati Laizer.

Additional reporting by George Sembony in Tanga