Another fatal crash
Four people Sunday died in an accident at Mtakataka in Dedza District after a vehicle they were travelling in plunged into a river, reportedly due to overspeeding.
Dedza Police spokesperson, Edward Kabango, confirmed the development Sunday, identifying the deceased as Winnie Yolodani, Osward Chimangeni, Moses Mzumala and Aggie Kanyemba.
While reports circulating on social media indicated Sunday that the accident had claimed 10 lives, Kabango maintained that official records indicate that four had died, 14 others sustained serious injuries while 21 others— including the vehicle’s driver, 39-year-old Stephano Kamowa— sustained minor injuries.
The injured had reportedly been taken to Mua Hospital and Dedza District Hospital for treatment.
Kabango said the Toyota Coaster Registration Number BS 8599, with 39 passengers among whom were Mzuzu University (Mzuni) and Mzuzu Technical College students, was coming from Thyolo and plunged into Nadzipulu River.
Reports further indicated that the students were coming from Malawi University of Science and Technology (Must) where they had participated in a basketball tournament.
“The accident happened around 1 o’clock in the afternoon, but currently, we don’t know whether the deceased are students or officials,” Kabango said.
An eyewitness Sunday said due to overspeeding, the vehicle swerved off its lane and hit the metal bars of the bridge before flying into the river.
Of late, the country has recorded several fatal road accidents with the most deadly being the one that occurred in Mzimba that claimed the lives of 23 soldiers.
The accident comes days after Malawi joined the rest of the continent to commemorate the Africa Road Safety Day where the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services revealed that in the last nine months,accidents have increased from 1,122 last year to 1, 791this year.
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