Three people died on the spot while five others sustained injuries when a motor vehicle they were traveling in overturned near Samama, Mangochi District, yesterday morning.
Mangochi Police Public Relations Officer, Roderick Maida, identified the deceased persons as 74-year-old Black Yobe of Saitikadzuwa Village, 37-year-old Lyna Yunusa of Chimatira Village and the driver of the vehicle, 29-year-old Anafi William of Chipala Village, all from Traditional Authority Mponda in Mangochi.
“A Toyota Sienta, which was yet to be registered, was carrying passengers between Monkey Bay and Mangochi Road. Eye witnesses say the driver was trying to avoid another vehicle and a pothole on his side. In the process, the vehicle overturned,” Maida said.
He has since advised drivers to avoid speeding during the festival season to avoid accidents.
Maida said traffic and general duties police officers have been tasked to erect mobile police posts and road blocks to ensure enough security and traffic checks during the festival season.
Eastern Region, which has Zomba, Machinga, Balaka and Mangochi districts, has this year registered more road accidents compared to last year.
From January to June this year, Eastern Region Police spokesperson, Joseph Sauka, said the region registered an increase of 83 percent, recording 167 accidents, 76 more than last year when the region registered only 91 accidents during a similar period.
During the first half of 2018, Sauka said Mangochi recorded 14 accidents, while this year, the district has registered fatal 38 accidents in six months ending June.
Sauka said there was a possibility that the number of accidents will increase this year when the research and planning department complete computing figures for the last half.
“It is a bad development because we are supposed to be reducing and not increasing road accidents. But our research has shown that the increase in vehicles on the road as well poor conditions of the roads are among the major reasons contributing to increase in road accidents,” he said.