Thursday, March 28, 2024

Survivors recall horrific accident

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University Teaching Hospital (UTH)

Survivors of the horrific Chibombo accident recalled with shock the accident which left 53 dead with the death toll having now increased by three more victims.Chibombo District Commissioner Felix Mangwato confirmed the latest deaths.Mr Mangwato said one of the passengers died on arrival at Liteta Hospital and another victim died while in admission at the hospital while the third one died on the way to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) for emergency treatment. Among the dead are three police officers.

A visit at UTH found Pauline Banda Musonda who sustained a broken arm and leg, in agony.She told the Times that she was in deep shock, especially that she did not know the whereabouts of her husband.

“I am injured yes…but I don’t know where my husband is. We were together on the bus. I don’t know what happened…I don’t know whether he is alive or he is among those that died,” she said in her hospital bed.“The only thing I remember is when I was in a van being ferried to the hospital. I was so in shock. When the accident happened, most people in the bus were asleep,” she said.

Ms Musonda, who works for the Ndola High Court, said she was going to Lusaka to pick up court files from the Lusaka High Court and was scheduled to return to Ndola the same day.

Another victim Mike Bwalya, 22, a lorry mate to the deceased driver of the truck, only recalled seeing the van that caused the accident, overtake the Post bus.

“It was raining and it was on a curve, in the process of trying to avoid the Toyota Hilux, my uncle Joseph Kasongo, who was driving the truck lost control and went to hit into the oncoming bus. I cannot remember what transpired afterwards,” Mr Bwalya said.

Mr Bwalya who sustained a broken arm, injuries to the head and multiple bruises on his body, said he had joined his uncle and cousin on the trip as they transported mealie meal from Lusaka to the Copperbelt.

And Godfrey Chonde, a pastor, who was at pains to explain what transpired said he was asleep when the accident occurred.

”All I can remember is that I was on top of some bags that were in a truck, and after some time I realised that we had been involved in an accident. I cried to God and the next thing I saw was a white man coming to help me and put me in his van,” Pastor Chonde said.

UTH Public Relations manager Pauline Mbangweta said 12 people had been discharged.Ms Mbangweta said there were currently 10 victims, four male and six females that were still receiving treatment.

[Times of Zambia]

61 COMMENTS

  1. The only thing I remember is when I was in a van being ferried to the hospital. I was so in shock. When the accident happened, most people in the bus were asleep,” she said. Zambia is useless taking someone in a van to the hospital

    • My friend no one knew that the accident would happen, and there is no way people could have started waiting for ambulances before casualties could be taken to the hospital. Victims needed immediate medical attention. Bravo to the galant Zambians that sacrificed their vans for this noble cause, am sure someones life was saved.

    • @2.1 mojo,
      Did you say ambulances? Bear with me I may be wrong, I’ve been away for a while and all I know is that there are no ambulances and patients being transported on bikes, wheelbarrows and vans if they can afford one.

    • In such moments you can even carry people on ur head if have to just to save a life, you dont have to wait for an ambulance to come..thumbs up to those that provided vans to rush accident victims to the hospital

    • you are the useless BAGGER – how were people transported after the paddington disaster in UK! Any means that can save lives in accidents should be uaed….that was an accident you *****!!

  2. So Sad…only God knows, am appealing to Satanism to stop killing innocent people is to bad. may their souls rest in peace

    • You read the ZWD too much. People lost their lives in an accident and you say satanism. Accidents do happen. By the way, don’t you find it strange that HH has never issued a statement whenever there is death? Also have you ever heard HH talk about God? I have never heard of HH in church. You may be right, maybe he is the Satanist and the devil is angry with Zambia for not voting for HH. People tell me that HH is an occultist. We need prayers for the nation. We are fighting against powers and principalities.

  3. Ms Musonda, who works for the Ndola High Court, said she was going to Lusaka to pick up court files from the Lusaka High Court and was scheduled to return to Ndola the same day.

    Useless Ndola Court why not send these or fax them please

    • Clearly u have no knowledge of the nature of court documentation if u can propose that court files be ‘faxed’. Are u joking? Really? How shallow can u be? All u r doing is making baseless critisms. Everyone on that bus had a purpose. For constructive critisim castigate those wanting, the truck driver, the white guy in the hilux etc. *****

    • u re so ignorant whoever u re. have u ever seen how a case record looks like? don t comment on matters u don t know.

    • I agree. Government should learn to embrace technologies for these simple things. Simply scanning the documents and putting them on their network or internet makes the documents ready available anywhere in the world within seconds.

    • IGNORANT!! That would take too long Arse whore!! Even a courier can face an accident….useless bastard with no known father!!

    • my dear thats boma for u..u use public transport..its alengthly process getting vehicle clearance and wat have u..so the best option is to give an officer transport allowance,lunch allowance and subsistance allowance .but she mentioned she was travelling with her husband ..thats a little suspect!

    • to save cost!! in UK permanent secretaries, ministers and mayors use public transport such as trains, buses or even bicycles!! London mayor Boris always cycles, etc. You Zambiana are so weird in thinking…..what’s really wrong with you dunderheads?

  4. We need dual carriageway. Too many head on collissions. Its the innocent who die.There’s too mcu overtaking cos people are in a hurry, too many vehicles on th roads.Police should monitor speed along the route and not concetrate on the usual road blocks.Pls PF government put in systems of casualty management on site of accident and during transportation of victims.Most people die because of lack of medical attention and poor handling.Imagine you’re injured and carried in a van!God have mercy on people of Zambia.

    • One Sata in opposition would have rushed to the scene, condemned the govt and offered ill (half)-baked solutions! Surprisingly, he’s now so quiet one can hear the deafening silence. Some people are just loud mouths – no substance!

  5. MS PAULINE BANDA,DIDN’T HAVE TO TRAVEL TO LUSAKA
    IS THE HIGH COURT NOT COMPUTERISED TO USE E-MAIL?
    MONEY AND IMPREST TO BE PAID TO HER IS SURELY MORE
    THAN THE COST OF SENDING PAPERS BY DHL

    • BUT DHL CAN ALSO BE INVOLVED IN OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT – WHEE IS YOUR LOGIC? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ZAMBIANS ….. THEY DONT THINK. THAT IS WHY COMPANIES LIKE ZAMBIA SUGAR CHEAT YOUR GOVTS ON DUBIOUS TAX DEALS!!

    • Have ever seen the size of court files? With law everything must be original, no scanned document is accepted. The courts should engage in contracting one of the courier companies to be doing this for them.

    • I thought this Post bus is supposed to carry posted items. Why don’t they post the court documents instead of having someone waste all that working time travelling even risking lives as you can see now. Even diplomatist have diplomatic bags they use to post documents.

  6. Hw arrogant can some of u be…..its in th middle of no were and u xpect ambulances to be readily available. Let’s be realistic before we comment those vans saved some of our pipo not aLl was lost.

  7. It is sad indeed to lose precious bro’s and sisters in the manner it happened… Zambia has continued to improve in as far as automobile ownership is concerned, and yet the road infrastructure remains the same…… narrow…. one lane and busy….

    So the best is that GRZ and even under PPP to create dual carriage ways for L/stone – Lusaka and great north road through to Chingola.. and Kasumbalesa also to do the same for Chingola and Solwezi( Zambia’s new copper source)

    One thing Zambias… Let us show It again

    ” UNITY” As we put to rest our dear beloved ones.

  8. One Sata in opposition would have rushed to the scene, condemned the govt and offered ill (half)-baked solutions! Surprisingly, he’s now so quiet one can hear the deafening silence. Some people are just loud mouths – no substance! Just thinking of his retirement home – when did he earn the retirement home? In opposition, is it?

  9. The other thing to do is to equip high way hospitals like Kapiri, Liteta on that strech and Serenje, Mkushi and Chilonga and Mpika hospitals. with mordern equipment to be able to attend to such emergencies, equally the police stations should have better transport and ambulances to effectively do partrols on the road. In this way some lives can also be saved. District councils like Mpika, Chibombo, Mkushi, Kapiri Kabwe inclusive and the new Chisamba should have good dependable fire tenders vehicles and equipment.

  10. @ 4, please change that picture of yours – am sure you’ve better pictures than the one currently on display – it’s a brotherly advice given for the sake of our Christian Nation.

  11. what has happened is heart wrenching, 53+ people is a lot, even if it were just one person who died. some on this blog are completely foolish and cannot even distinguish important matters from minutia. Chi bwaima ulichipuba pafipuba – and get lost.

    to the sensible and wise, given that most on this blog are outside ZED – what can we do to affect change, how can we collectively impact policies at home e.g push politicians to be more effective? – we definitely need better highways, schools, hospitals etc – but our current genre of politicians seem not to see the urgency of this, – please HELP

  12. What about national emergeny lines plus helicopters for first aiders. I can asure you that many people die in accidents due to excessive bleeding!

  13. My dear friend’s father is a survivor.
    My friend is telling me his father is NOT GETTING PROPER MEDICAL CARE!
    He has a terrible back injury and isn’t receiving pain medication or CAT scans or needed MRI. He is being ignored!
    What can be done??
    Please help me assist my friend!
    Thank you,
    Stephanie

    • WHERE IS HE ADMITTED?IF HE IS IN LUSAKA ASK HIM TO DEMAND TO SEE THE HEAD OF THE DEPT. AND IF THAT FAILS GET A CELL NUMBER FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL.DOCTORS WHO ARE READING THIS BLOG PLEASE HELP THE THIS FRIEND’S FATHER.PLEASE!

  14. Guys even in UK USA Europe etc. there are terrible accidents sometimes, even bigger than this one, but people don’t just blame government?? You need to get a grip some of you guys, people have died, it’s not about your stupid obsession with Sata!!!!!

  15. road network should be given attention.lsk mazabuka, mpika nakonde road ,didnt think we would hve such roads in zed by now.Limited speed givs driver enough time to make life serving decisons on the roads, economically th govt should make alot of over taking lanes and plenty signs, this will stop these occurrances.Urgent attention required here……

  16. Sorry kwena bane ,this is indeed a dark period in the country.Condolences to the families who lost their beloved ones.Quick recovery to those injured and recieving treatment in our poor hospitals .How i wish i could take you all to India.At least there mwandi there is care no wonder my hubby sneaks out from time to time bakali bamwenye.My hubby is ashamed of himself about the things he used to say about Indians.He has indeed swallowed his arrongant Bemba pride on this one.

  17. Our tendency as Zambians is that whenever there’s a crisis of such huge magnitude, we refer to easily “explain away” issues. There is a Pastor on ZWD who claims the deaths are ritualistic. Come off it! Its not a secret that our drivers are the worst bunch of traffic rule violators in the whole of southern Africa, that our roads are the narrowest, without navigational markings compared to the rest of the region. Our traffic officers have no enforcement abilities especially on long routes. Broaden the roads and navigate them. Introduce fast track traffic courts with stiff penalties. Most accidents happen at an “overtaking phase”. So dual carriege ways are an absolute necessity. Let’s learn to intelligently, and rationally analyze than always hide behind spirituality. Let’s not be…

  18. I wish to convey my condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured quick recovery. This is a tragedy to the nation. We should do what we can to improve road safety. We should build dual carriage ways from L/stone to Solwezi. This is actually in the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP). Let’s find the money mwe. That which we can not change we leave to God. God help us.

  19. There you go again uttering rubbish !!!!
    You good for nothing zambians when are you going to learn?
    You suffer from a talking sydrome which leaves you completely *****s!!!!
    you lazy people!!!!
    good for nothing nation!!!!

  20. @27. Which rubbish are you talking about? Be blunt and precise, so that bloggers learn. Otherwise you will be accused of waffling, you yourself.

  21. Ati good for nothing Zambians? That is an insult. What has annoyed you specifically? What kind of talk is not making sense to you? Looking at the way you have put across your statement, you may be a good for nothing blogger kwena mwe. Pure filth you are spilling here. Let’s hear/read your wise words kaili. Otherwise remain a fool. This is a forum meant for people to express themselves. I mean which nation does not talk?

  22. Pastor Chonde’s “testimony”makes interesting reading.A true reflection of what goes on in many’s mind when they pray.Visualising a white god.Only this time his miracle became real.And you wonder why we forever look to the west for the rest of our aid?there is where “god ” resides.

  23. Pastor Chonde’s “testimony”makes interesting reading.It to me is a true reflection of what goes on in many a mind when they pray.Visualising a white god.Only this time his miracle became real and now you wonder why we forever look to the west for the rest of our aid?There in the west is where “god ” resides.At most some minds in high places seem believe so ,having no or little faith in their own people and placing hope in people alien to the day to day lives of ordinary Zambians.I say look within for solutions will only come from them that know and feel it.You in positions of influence ,listen to the street man talking.From him may come solutions to circumvent the begging situation for better.

  24. The main idea to purchase a blood pressure monitor is because you want a fast and accurate machine that you can easily operate at home. You want something that straps on and with a push of a button reads and finishes the reading in less than 3 minutes. That’s the standard you want to put up.

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