Commissioner Mweene discloses that twelve died on the spot while five died later, adding that forty-two are nursing injuries at Mbala and Mpulungu General Hospitals.

He says the victims who are residents of Senga Hills District were heading to Mpulungu District for a Catholic Church programme.

And Commissioner Mweene states that preliminary investigations reveal that the driver was drunk and that the said vehicle is not road worthy.

Meanwhile, government says it has received the death of 17 catholic members, who died in a road traffic accident which happened in the early hours of today along the Mbala-Mpulungu road with shock.

Northern Province Minister Brian Mundubile says government has received the death of catholic church members with the sense of deep shock bearing in mind that it was just on 3 September that a similar accident happened which claimed seven lives also members of the catholic church.

Mr. Mundubile further said Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Dr. Jobbicks Kalumba has rushed to the area to assess how best government can lighten the burden of the families of the deceased.

Seventeen Catholics Die In A Rad Accident In Mbala