Minibus plunges into stream

By MUNAMBEZA MUWANEI and SYLVIA MWEETWA –

FIVE people sustained injuries when a Toyota Hiace minibus plunged into Chifubu stream in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The accident happened around 02:00 hours when the driver of the minibus, registration number ACX 9780, lost control and hit into pillars, causing it to overturn.
The impact forced the uprooting of five pillars after which the minibus plunged and came to rest down a four-metre deep stream.
Those who were injured included two females, two minors, and the bus conductor and were immediately rushed to Ndola Central Hospital for medical attention.
Eye witnesses said the driver of the minibus, who could not be identified, escaped unhurt and is on the run.
Ndola Central Hospital public relations officer Sheona Chalimbana confirmed that the five accident victims were admitted to the hospital, but were later discharged after they were attended to.
Copperbelt Police Chief Joyce Kasosa said she had not received the report of this accident.
The accident happened at the same spot where 12 youths died when a 26-seater Toyota Coaster minibus plunged into the same stream in 2011.
Twenty-five other passengers were injured in that accident.

In another incident, Ms Kasosa said a Power Tools Scania bus, registration number 6315 yesterday hit into a pedestrian, identified as Alex Mwaba, who sustained a fractured right leg and a deep cut on the left leg.
Ms Kasosa said the accident happened when the pedestrian was hit as he was trying to cross the Ndola-Kitwe dual carriageway.
Meanwhile, four Chingola-based police officers and another passenger are nursing serious injuries in Serenje District Hospital following a road traffic accident.
The accident happened after the driver of an unregistered Subaru Impresa only identified as Fwalanga from the anti-robbery squad attempted to overtake two trucks, a Volvo registration number T264 AKU and T139 BGQ and another one whose details are unknown.
Central Province Deputy Police Chief Edwin Bwanga, who confirmed the development, said the accident happened on Thursday after the driver of the Sabaru tried to avoid a head-on collusion with an oncoming truck and careered off the road injuring the four officers in the process.
Mr Bwanga said the police officers were travelling to Serenje to recover stolen goods, and identified the injured officers as Joseph Ngoma, a Mr Namangolwa, Terry Chikampa and Edward Kapungwe, all of Chingola.

Times of Zambia