About 55 passengers have escaped unhurt while a 56-year-old woman has sustained a leg injury after a Samfya-bound bus belonging to P-Mwansa caught fire.
The Media reports that Luapula Province Police Commanding Officer, Mwala Yuyi, has disclosed the accident which occurred around 14:50 Hours at Lukola area on the Chembe-Mansa Road.
Mr Yuyi said the driver of the Zhongtong Bus, Registration Number ASB 2276, Peter Mwansa, suspected the fire to have been ignited by an electrical fault.
“Police officers accompanied by fire officers from Chembe Town Council rushed to the scene and found a Zhongtong Bus belonging to P. Mwansa Company of Samfya District, which was coming from Kitwe in route to Samfya, still on fire,” Mr Yuyi stated.
He regretted that the bus was completely engulfed in flames and all passengers’ luggage was destroyed in the inferno as efforts to extinguish the fire proved futile.
“Efforts by the fire officers to extinguish the fire proved futile, as the flames were too intense to be contained with the available fire extinguishers. Consequently, the bus was extensively damaged,” Mr Yuyi added.
He, however, indicated that the total value of the damaged property has not yet been established.
Mr Yuyi stated that an inquiry file has been opened to establish the actual cause of the fire.
