Thirteen women from the Presbyterian Church of East Africa have been confirmed dead after the bus they were travelling in was crashed into by a truck in Tanga, Tanzania.

The group of women from Kenya were travelling to a church meeting in the neighbouring country when the accident occurred. The women were travelling in two buses when the first vehicle suddenly veered off the road. The second bus stopped and the other women got out to assist their colleagues. According to witnesses, a truck then crashed into the second bus, causing the fatalities.

“While they were trying to help the other bus that a speeding lorry hit the other stationary one forcing it to land on the group that was trying to save their colleagues near a bridge,” said the witness.

At least 40 other women were injured in the accident.

Kenyan police has said that after first inspection, there were around 80 members of the church travelling in the separate vehicles. With so many passengers involved, there are fears that the fatality count might rise as many of the passengers were trapped under the bus.

On Friday afternoon, President Mwai Kibaki directed the military to send aircraft and helicopters to Tanzania to evacuate the injured for medical treatment in Kenya.