4 killed, 36 injured in bus-truck crash in Rufunsa, police say

FOUR people were killed and 36 others injured Thursday when a bus collided with a truck on the Great East Road in the Lukwipa area of Rufunsa District, police said. Zambia Police Service, Public Relations Officer, Godfrey Chilabi said the crash occurred around 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the Zambia Police Service. Police identified the

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FOUR people were killed and 36 others injured Thursday when a bus collided with a truck on the Great East Road in the Lukwipa area of Rufunsa District, police said.

Zambia Police Service, Public Relations Officer, Godfrey Chilabi said the crash occurred around 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the Zambia Police Service.

Police identified the bus as a Zhongtong public service vehicle, registration ADE 5711, operated by Power Tools Company and driven by Ask Mulobela. The bus was traveling toward Chipata with 57 passengers on board.

The other vehicle was a Volvo truck and trailer, registrations AJE 4462 and ALF 7035T, driven by Paul Banda, 25, of Sinda District and traveling toward Lusaka.

Preliminary investigations indicate the truck driver moved into the opposite lane to avoid a stationary vehicle and collided head-on with the bus, police said.

Mulobela and the bus conductor, Innocent Mulobela, were pronounced dead at Mpanshya Mission Hospital. Police said the conductor was the driver’s son.

Thirty-five bus passengers were injured and admitted to Mpanshya Hospital, police said.

Banda also sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the same hospital.

Two passengers in the truck were killed. One was identified as Fortune Mwanza. The other, a man believed to be 25 to 30, had not been identified.

The bodies of the deceased were taken to the Mpanshya Mission Hospital mortuary pending identification and postmortems. Both vehicles were extensively damaged.

An inquiry file has been opened and investigations are ongoing, police said.

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