3 die in Zalewa road accident
At least three people died in a road accident yesterday after a Scania Marcopolo bus, registration number BU 4708, overturned along Zalewa Road in Neno District.
The accident occurred around 4 am at Zalewa Trading Centre.
Neno Police spokesperson, Raphael Kaliati, confirmed the development, saying the particulars of the driver of the bus belonging to City Tours are not yet known. He only identified him as Thom.
Kaliati said the bus was coming from Lilongwe and heading to Blantyre. It had about 50 passengers on board.
On arrival at Zalewa Turn Off, the bus swerved and fell sideways after the driver failed to negotiate a corner.
“I can confirm that three people died on the spot due to head injuries. The names of the deceased are Macford Chizaka, Chipiliro Tembo and Grace Kandoje. The accident happened because the driver was over-speeding, hence he failed to control it when he tried to negotiate a corner. The bus had one part dented.” Kaliati said.
The accident has occurred when there are concerns of increased road carnage.
According to a Malawi Police Service report released recently, 927 people were killed in road accidents that have occurred in the country between January and May this year.
Officer-in-charge of Traffic Police, Mcpherson Matowe, said this represents an increase of six percent in the number of people killed in accidents during the same period last year.
Police and the Road Traffic Directorate (RTD) said most accidents are occurring as a result of excess speeding.
RTD Chief Road Traffic Officer, Fergus Gondwe, is quoted in The Daily Times of Monday as saying that, as a way of curbing cases of road accidents, his agency will be hard on road users because the situation is getting out of hand.
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