17 people have perished in a fatal road accident which occurred in the early hours of today involving an Isuzu-light-truck with registration number is ACK 5871 in Mpulungu District ,in Northern Province.
Of the deceased, 12 are males, four are females and a child respectively.
The victims were among the 61 passengers on board the vehicle , which was heading to Mpulungu District from Senga District.
However, about 15 kilometers before their destination, the driver failed to negotiate a curve near Kasimango village along the Mpulungu-Mbala road forcing the vehicle to flip on one side.
ZANIS reports that Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Northern Province Manager Chileshe Chileshe confirmed the development in Mpulungu today.
He said the 42 other passengers on the truck sustained serious injuries and have been rushed to Mpulungu District Hospital as well as Mbala General Hospital for medical treatment.
Three others , however , escaped unhurt from the road accident.
Mr. Chileshe identified the accident victims as members of the catholic church under Mambwe Mission who were coming from Senga District heading to Mpulungu for a church programme before they met their fate.
And Mr. Chileshe says preliminary investigations by RTSA have revealed that the driver of the Isuzu-light-truck, was over- speeding at the time of the accident.
He also disclosed that the fateful vehicle was not road worth as it had a compromised suspension and finished tyres.
Mr. Chileshe said the driver the truck whom he identified as Light Silwamba, 28, has been apprehended to help with investigations and will be charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
Meanwhile, Mpulungu District Commissioner Dennis Sikazwe has described the road accident, which has so far killed 17 people, as a tragic.
He appealed for urgent support from government and well-wishers on behalf of the injured persons and bereaved families respectively.
The latest road accident in Mpulungu District follows a similar accident in Mungwi District which left several members of the Catholic Church in Kasama dead after a truck they were in also lost control and over-turned earlier this month.
Zambian drivers need to be taken to chainama hospital for assessment before going on the road
The solution to solving these accidents lies with us the citizens and not the police- let all institutions be they the churches, sports groups, schools. bana mayo aba sangwa ku mariketi (marketeers), aba malasha (charcoal burners), aba sabe (fish mongers), form their own traffic committees- so that only the hiring of vehicles- be they light trucks, minibuses etc will be done after inspection of these same vehicles by a member of such a group. It may sound impractical but it can be done. These groups should appoint reps who should receive training from Ratsa and be certified.
Please, ba Catholic Church, Bishops and Priests in the Northern Province, can we find a way of stopping our Catholic Laity from using trucks for church purposes. There are more people operating buses in that part of the country. So, let us help stop the road carnage by banning the use of trucks for our members. You do not need RTSA to stop this. Let us learn to be proactive. It is just recently when we lost other lives of Catholic members in Mungwi in similar circumstances.
OK this is madness. 62 people in a truck? Are you trying to tell me you can’t find God in your own location? This habit of letting abnormal things go on because its Ba Ku Church or bamalilo to do wrong things must stop. This is peoples lives lets try to find God at our nearest church and let’s respect the living and not the dead by just having few people travel to put to rest the dead.
I remember my friend telling me how he sped from Kapiri to Nakonde in 2hours 30min. He was moving at 200Km/Hr. And he was boasting how great he was. And I am like the maximum I have done is 140Km/h and that was just for 5 minutes then back to 120km/hr. These guys run and they think it is an insult if one overtakes them.
RTSA is to blame in all these road traffic accidents.I believe this boy probably has no driving license and if he is in possesion he had aquired dubiously without any tests both on the road to determine his ability as well as understand the rules of driving contained in a highway code.However,we are sadned about the loss of life,may God give comfort to all the bereaved families.
Blame gvt policy of NOT inspecting all vehicles to determine their road worthness. Here we read that the vehicle was NOT in good condition to be running on the roads with tyres, dog’s bone and brakes defection. What can a good do with these untold ma problems on the vehicle.
Amend traffic rules with strict laws. How many people are going to die in these tragic road accidents before we become a serious nation? Enough is enough of these accidents, and every body is not fit for acquiring a drivers license.
Drunken drivers,corrupt cops and poorly done bwana Lungu’s roads .
LT can you stop showing naked women in your sponsered ads when reporting somber news pleas , like the fat woman taking a selfies of her naked body above ???
Tragic.
MTSRIP
Whether the driver was drunk or not the issue is there is time for everything the only advice l will advice the drivers is to commit to the Lord any journey and their plans will succeed. To the public let aussi do the same whenever we have a journey let ask God s guidance. Satan is working hardly but our God has also raised a standard. Let us defeat the devil true prayers by living a sanctified life in Jesus name. Don’t blame RTSA neither ECL and his government but let blame and condemn Satan and
Whether the driver was drunk or not the issue is” there istime for everything”. The only advice l would like to give to all the drivers is to commit to the Lord any journey and their plans will succeed. To the public let aussi do the same whenever we have a journey let ask God s guidance and commit our journey ti Lord.Satan is working hardly but our God has also raised up a standard. Let us defeat the devil true prayers by living a sanctified life in Jesus name. Don’t blame RTSA neither ECL and his government but let blame and condemn Satan and his agents Satanists. May their souls rest in peace. My condolences to the family
How can we have 61 people loaded on a light truck?I mean it just beats logic!
How do you just accept naked adverts all the time on your web ba LT. Please remove them
“Finished tyres” have less grip on the road and then speed is also a factor here
God help Zambia: There is a very strong demon in Zambia which is claiming lives: Do you mean if a driver does not speed then is not a driver: Mwe bantu why don’t we take patience when you are carrying passengers? let that driver compensate the deceased families. In fact introduce a law which should carry a penalty of compensating the victims:
First Solution is to Disband RTSA and Fire all the traffic bakabolala. Their love of money has surpassed that of the sex worker and the tax collector. They are definitely not adding any value to Road Safety. In countries where road safety is taken very seriously, no one is allowed to carry passengers in the back of a truck where there are clearly no seat belts! You then wonder what RTSA stands for when there are so many wrongs happening on our roads. If police vehicles are the first to beat red lights, what example are they giving to the ordinary motorist? Look at the minibus drivers and how they have been allowed to drive wild on our roads. They will stop and block traffic anywhere and cut in front of traffic on traffic lights and get away with wrong doing. Then you have funny cops…
Then you have funny cops mounting speed traps where there is no signage. When a foreigner asks whether Zambians are normal or not then we get offended. Where is our Pride as a nation? At this rate we should expect more Zambians to continue dying like flies!
Leave RTSA alone. Every person is equipped with the power of reasoning. How do 61 thinking humans fit themselves in a light truck. Nangu fya ku church kuti wamona fye na wemwine. Anyway, sorry for the bereaved families.
Unfortunately in Northern Province carrying people in trucks and open vans is normal to police and RTSA officers. They even load at bus stations. Try to pass through location bus station, you will be surprised to find trucks loading people going to Nakonde openly despite Kasama having plenty of Rosas.
My brothers and sisters that should be Spiritual more SERIOUS PRSYERS ARE NEEDED.
@Matashu.
What do you mean “that should be Spiritual”? Would you deliberately put loose unsecured cargo in an open Truck with questionable road fitness and let an immature driver speed of? The answer is NO unless you have mental illness. So, why do that to fellow human beings, and call it ‘spiritual’ when you deliberately expose them to such danger in the first place?
May God be with the affected family’s…
61 people on a light truck is crazy….
RATSA why are you….traffic police just collecting money for your pockets!
Very sad. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.
The use of open vans and trucks to ferry people should be banned. We have become too familier with this practice that it nows seems normal. Even the traffic police dont see anything wrong with this. Even if this is Africa we can definitely do better. This is the 21st century, we shouldnt be having such accidents.
Don’t blame satan like one blogger put it we have the power to reason. How do you allow 61 people in a light truck. Let us value life people it is a gift from God. Rtsa is doing all it can but man power is the problem. Traffic officers no one says good things about them then you know where the problem is coming from. Officers need to rectify their image its rotten to the core. Hope traffic cops are reading these comments corruption is bad people let us free ourselves from it and live our lives according to our means.
MTSRIP BUT WHAT IS TONGA POLICE COMMISSIONER DOING IN NORTHERN PROVINCE RICHARD MWEENE THEN RTSA MAN PLEASE BA LT GIVE US HIS FIRST NAMES YOU JUST REPEATED HIS SURNAMES ATI CHILESHE CHILESHE WITH SUCH MIX UP IN NAMES AND TONGA MAN IN NORTHERN HOW CAN THEY DO A THOUROUGH INVESTIGATION
This is very sad news: Out of interest, how does “however” in the sentence below fit in the story
However, about 15 kilometers before their destination, the driver failed to negotiate a curve near Kasimango village along the Mpulungu-Mbala road forcing the vehicle to flip on one side.
Its very sad and painful to lose life like this.
But the broader question is:- Why deliberately transport human beings in a more dangerous manner than cargo and livestock? By design, trucks with open beds are meant to carry Cargo fastened and secured to the ruck with suitable anchor ropes. When livestock is to be carried in an open truck, raised Gratings are fastened to all four sides of the truck bed.
By design, there is no provision to carry human beings in an open truck.
Professor Andrew I agree with you on prayer, but prayer and common sense go together. How could the driver honestly afford to speed when the truck had worn tyres and poor brakes. As if to make the matters worse the vehicle was over loaded. Young peoples obsession with speed baffles me.
From the picture the car was not fit for the road.
A very good percentage of our public drivers are illiterate, not expecting such is blissful thinking and unfortunately its a matter of fact. Lets have thorough pre-conditions for one to obtain a driving license.
Let RTSA be methodical here and not speculate, find out how this vehicle got its fitness certificate?
Tell us if it was road worthy?
Interview driver on how he handled the situation cause loss of brakes on a straight road and congestion free road shouldn’t result in an accident.
Driver could have used lower gears to slow down the vehicle, slight application of the hand brake could have all helped to come to a safe stop.
Sorry
To my surprise, there is even a 24 hour road block at between Senga and Mbala at the turn-off into Nakonde road. Didn’t the Police notice the over loading? Worse of it was during prohibited time. The police who were at the road block that day should brought to book. MTSRIEP.