People burnt to ashes in Chongwe road traffic accident

Sun, 04 Dec 2016 10:42:22 +0000

By Kalobwe Bwalya

AN UNKNOWN number of people have been burnt to ashes in a road traffic collision at Chitemalesa area between Chongwe and Rufunsa yesterday after a Prado Toyota vehicle they were travelling in collided head on with a truck and caught fire.

Police spokesperson Esther Katongo confirmed the crash happened around 07.00 hours when a Freightliner truck and trailer registration number CK 4304 driven by Moses Yakobe of Transtec Logistics (Malawi) collided with the Prado.

Ms Katongo said the crash happened after the Lusaka-bound truck with one passenger on board collided with a Prado which was moving in the Eastern direction after its driver failed to negotiate a curve and hit into an oncoming truck.

“Both vehicles caught fire and all the people in the Prado have been burnt to ashes. The number and identities of the victims is not yet established and the registration number of the Prado is not yet established as the vehicle has been completely burnt. The driver of the truck and his passenger have escaped death,” said Ms Katongo.

The police have since appealed to members of the public who may have witnessed the crash to come forward and help police with their investigation.

Meanwhile, two female school juveniles of Monze have drowned in a ditch as they celebrated end of school term Friday. Southern Province police commissioner Bonny Kapeso said the two have since been identified as Mutinta Nchimunya and Beauty Muzele, aged 11 and 12 respectively, both pupils at Chongo Basic School on Monze–Namwala road.

“The incident occurred on Friday between 11:00 and 12:00 hours after pupils closed schools and decided to go for a swim in the water accumulated ditch dug by a road contractor for soil used in the construction works” said Mr Kapeso .

Mr Kapeso said the ditch was situated 600 metres away from the school and the deceased were among several other pupils who had gone there for swimming.

He said the bodies of the deceased were lying in Monze mission hospital mortuary awaiting burial, and police did not suspect any foul play.