ZANIS COPY-Sata mourns Chibombo accident victims

President Michael Sata has sends a message of condolences to the families of the over 50 people who died in a road traffic accident involving a Lusaka bound Post bus that collided with a truck in Chibombo area this morning.

President Sata said it was extremely saddening to lose innocent lives in another road accident involving public transport adding that the loss of valuable citizens was regrettable.

This is contained in a statement issued to ZANIS by Special Assistant to the President Press and Public Relations George Chellah today.

The Head of State conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wished those that have been injured in the same accident a speedy recovery.

President Sata has since directed the Zambia Police Service and the Road Traffic and Safety Agency (RTSA) to quickly step up their actions and arrest the situation.

And Chief Government Spokesperson Kennedy Sakeni has described the road traffic accident which happened in Chibombo today as a national tragedy.

Mr. Sakeni said government was concerned about the frequency of road fatalities and would not rest until such tragedies are reduced.

He urged RTSA and other law enforcement agencies to work closely with motorists and other road users to promote adherence to traffic rules and regulations in order to make roads safer.

Meanwhile, University Teaching Hospital (UTH) spokesperson Pauline Mbangweta has said the institution received nine survivors of the Chibombo fatal road accident.

Ms. Mbangweta said however, one person died on the way to UTH and was received as a broad in dead case.

He told ZANIS in an Interview today that doctors at UTH started attending to the injured people immediately they were brought in.

She stated that more bodies were expected at the hospital after security personnel who were on the ground at the accident scene wind up their operation later in the day.

Police Spokesperson Elizabeth Kanjela earlier disclosed that more than 50 people were feared dead in a road mishap which happened in Chibombo.