By Wezzie Gausi:
Six people died while 18 others sustained injuries in a road accident that happened on Sunday night near Katete Farm Road junction, which is along the Lilongwe By-Pass Road.
This happened following two separate-but-single-scene road accidents involving a stationery Central Poultry Freightliner and two other vehicles.
Lilongwe Police Station spokesperson Hastings Chigalu said on the day in question, William Banda (whose other details are yet to be provided) was driving a Tata lorry, registration DA 5273, from the direction of Lilongwe By-Pass Road Round-about heading towards Zamkutu Trading Centre with 21 passengers on board.
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He said soon after passing the Katete Farm Road junction, Banda hit the rear part of a stationary broken down Central Poultry Freightliner, registration NA 4718/ CP 3863, whose driver was John Njolomole (now deceased), 55, of Njolomole Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Njolomole, in Ntcheu District.
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“Following the impact, a passenger who was seated in front, identified as Goliati Lekinala, sustained head injuries and fractured legs and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH).
“As for three other passengers, Victoria Masautso, 20, sustained a fractured left leg; Blandina Kalulunga, 14, sustained head injuries; and Juliet Bandawe, 4, suffered a deep, intestines-exposing wound,” Chigalu said.
He added that while people were rescuing casualties at the accident scene, a Mazda Axela—registration NU 10495 and driven by 38-year-old Kesswell Munthali (now deceased)—came cruising from the same direction of Lilongwe By-Pass Roundabout.
Chigalu said upon arrival at the scene of the first accident, Munthali— of Chiwoza Village, TA Chikulamayembe, in Rumphi District—lost control of the vehicle and swerved to the extreme nearside, where he hit four people including Njolomole, (Central Poultry driver,) who were busy rescuing casualties that were stuck to the Tata truck.
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“Following the impact, the Mazda driver (Munthali), Njolomole (Central Poultry driver) and the three other casualties (who are yet to be identified) sustained severe head injuries and multiple fractures.
“Sadly, they were all pronounced dead upon arrival at KCH. This brought the total number of people killed from the two incidents to six,” he said
Meanwhile, those who have been injured are admitted to KCH.
As we went to press, bodies of the accident victims were being kept at the referral hospital.
