Karonga minibus accident, 7 dead: vehicle overturned after rear tyre burst
Seven passengers died on the spot on Saturday at Ngara Trading Centre in Karonga and seven others sustained injuries when a minibus they were travelling in, registration CP 7740, overturned at Ngara Trading Centre after a rear tyre burst.
Karonga Police spokesperson, Enock Livason, confirmed the accident which happened when the minibus was heading to Mzuzu from Karonga Boma.
“The minibus, a Toyota Hiace, had 14 passengers on board and at Ngara Trading Centre, one of the rear tyres burst, the driver lost control and the vehicle overturned. Five passengers died on the spot while two died on their way to the hospital,” Livason said, adding that a conductor was among the dead. He also said two of the killed passengers were primary school teachers.
The police publicist also said bodies of the dead passengers were taken to Karonga District Hospital.
He said the other seven passengers sustained different degrees of injuries.
He identified the driver as Lyson Munthali, 35, from Njakwa Village in the area of Chief Jalavikuba in Mzimba District.
“When he gets well, we shall charge him with causing death by reckless driving,” said Livason because “we understand he was over speeding.”
“As we approach Christmas, we urge drivers to observe road signs and drive while sober and at recommended speeds,” added Livason.
Meanwhile, there was another serious accident involving a passenger minibus and a truck belonging to a Mocambican Company, J&J Transport Limited along Chirimba-Magalasi road in Blantyre.
The trailer of the truck, whose driver had lost control due to brake failure, hit a stationary minibus which had seven people on board.
Blantyre Police spokesperson, Elizabeth Divala, said the information that her office had indicated that one of the 10 people involved sustained a serious fracture.
She, thereafter, referred us to Officer-in-Charge for Ndirande Police Post for details but his phone could not be reached.
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