- Stay Connected
Socialize
Mazhandu Accident, 52 Injured
By KAPALA CHISUNKA
FIFTY-TWO people sustained injuries when a Lusaka-bound Mazhandu Marcopolo bus registration number ABP 2165 they were travelling in overturned after being partially hit by a Toyota Corolla registration number ABX 1729.
The accident happened in the early hours of yesterday between 02:00hours and 02:30 hours about 100 metres from the railway in Shikoswe area in Kafue district.
In an interview with the Sunday Mail crew who rushed to the scene of the accident, driver of the bus Thomas Chungu, 42, said the accident happened when the taxi driver of the Toyota Corolla failed to keep to his side of the lane.
“In trying to avoid him, I moved a bit out of the road but he came on my side and I lost control. I tried to maintain my speed as well as remain on the road but I failed due to the impact of the bang, which forced me out of the road into the depression causing the bus to over-turn twice,” Mr Chungu said.
He said the driver of the taxi, identified as Robert Kateka, 35, who tried to escape, was quickly pounced on by alert on-lookers who had gathered at the accident scene.
And one of the victims, Annie Kaonga, a Kitwe resident who was travelling with her niece Lambi Chitundu, said the driver of the bus seemed to have lost control of the bus a few metres after crossing the railway line.
Ms Kaonga, who was visibly in pain, sustained neck injuries.
“We thought it was a tyre burst until we realised that it was actually another car that had hit into us. We all started screaming and praying hoping for a miracle because it was clear that the driver of the bus was failing to keep the bus on the road. The bus went off the road and over-turned twice. We are lucky to all be alive because there were children on the bus as well,” Ms Kaonga said between sobs.
She said good Samaritans who quickly rushed to the scene started retrieving the victims from the wreckage before they were all taken to Kafue District Hospital.
Kafue District Hospital Coverage nurse Bernadette Munene said passengers on board were taken to the hospital as procedure after an accident.
Forty-seven were treated and immediately released with minor injuries.
“Six passengers were referred to the University Teaching Hospital with serious injuries while four were admitted. Six have so far been discharged. “The four that have remained here are in a stable condition,” she said.
Zambia Police deputy spokesperson Charity Munganga said Mr Kateka, who was also treated at Kafue District Hospital but later discharged will be charged with dangerous driving.
She said investigations into the accident have since been instituted.
Meanwhile, NOMSA NKANA reports that a suspected thief of Congolese nationality Patrick Wendo, 28, has been burnt to death by an irate mob.
Wendo, of house number 16/11 John Laing was burnt yesterday morning between 05:00 hours and 06:00 hours near Metropolitan School after an irate mob pounced on him.
Ms Munganga who said Wendo has been on Police wanted list for a long time has also warned members of the public not to take the law into their own hands.
Posted by Editor
on June 23, 2013. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
BOWA
June 23, 2013 at 7:08 am
mwebantu pliz its too much.today mazhandu caught fire,tomorrow mazhandu was stiorned by som thieves today mazhandu overturned,kanshi who is trying to finish market yaba mazhandu ayi?just coz they offer better services u wnt to tarnish there name mwebantu.this is very sad.there is somthing wrong with zambia.
popsinger
June 23, 2013 at 1:38 pm
Please save us from the nonsense with your superstition! This just an accident because someone had been careless.Those buses must been banned from traveling at night too because chances of causing accidents are quite high.
MBULO BLAISE
June 23, 2013 at 8:55 am
@the corolla guy wantd to flee,he knew tht he was the one at fault,why charge the bus driver for danger driving?again @ onlookers pa 02hours! ba guy mulala nshita nshi kanshi? good we didnt lose any life though.
TC
June 24, 2013 at 7:59 am
It is Kateka, the corolla driver who has been charged.
jik
June 23, 2013 at 9:10 am
On lookers @ 02hrs…balefuma mukulowa ba fyatile. Anso Maztandu ifwile yapunkile indoshi
charles phiri
June 23, 2013 at 9:26 am
How could the corolla hit the but when it is the one that is basheg on its side? The bus must have hit into the car.
joe
June 23, 2013 at 10:52 am
Thank God no1 dead. Thank u Lord…
Narrant
June 23, 2013 at 2:19 pm
Mazhandu was known for providing good service once- upon-a-time. Wonder what’s gone amiss, is the company under new management, per chance?
Twiumfwako
June 23, 2013 at 11:10 pm
An accident can happen anytime anywhere. Still, the Mazhandu driver should have hit the car for the safety of his many passengers.
Proudly Zedian
June 24, 2013 at 10:05 am
Mazhandu drivers are very good, was involved in an accident early last yr with one of the Mazhandu buses from livingstone to Lusaka just few meters away from Munali Hills . I thank God im still alive because the accident was very bad! it lost control because of the rains, and went to hit into the tree, we had to use the window screen to go out, only the driver, conductor and 3children were injured but we all survived.
Proudly Zedian
June 24, 2013 at 10:05 am
Mazhandu drivers are very good, was involved in an accident early last yr with one of the Mazhandu buses from livingstone to Lusaka just few meters away from Munali Hills . I thank God im still alive because the accident was very bad! it lost control because of the rains, and went to hit into the tree, we had to use the window screen to go out, only the driver, conductor and 3children were injured but we all survived.
fred
June 24, 2013 at 3:18 pm
The problem with big bus drivers also is that, most of the time at night they never switch the head lights to low beam.what they do is when you flash him to show that he is in full beam they even switch the sport lights on wich can also couse the smoll car to loss control .please RTSA teach them how to communicat with the other driver to avoide such accidents
bravo
June 25, 2013 at 8:52 pm
I trust Johabee bus services,anyway let’s thank God the Almighty.
bravo
June 25, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Fred ur right,point,I experienced that on friday on my way back from chongwe.