At least 12 people were killed and 63 others injured in a road accident in Tanzania's central district of Kongwa in Dodoma Region, an official said.

Rosemary Senyamule, Dodoma Regional Commissioner, on Thursday said the accident involved a bus and a truck that collided head-on at midnight on Wednesday at Silwa village along the Dodoma-Morogoro highway.

"Eight men and four women traveling in the bus were killed on the spot," said Senyamule, adding that 63 of the injured persons were rushed to Kongwa District government hospital.

She said the bus was heading to Bukoba in the Kagera region from the port city of Dar Es Salaam before it collided with the truck that was ferrying cement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Awadh Haji, head of police operations and training, said the collision occurred after the bus driver attempted to overtake another vehicle without taking precautions. (KB/IANS)