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Three Tanzania nationals die in road accident in Malawi
2008-05-14 10:00:30
By Pastory Nguvu, Blantyre
THREE Tanzanians, a bus driver, his conductor and a passenger are among eight people reportedly dead following a bus accident that occurred on Monday at Mlale village in Karonga District, Malawi.
A reliable source from the Tanzania High Commission in Lilongwe confirmed the accident.
“The report we have so far at the High Commission is that the driver of the bus, the conductor and another passenger, all from Tanzania, died on the spot. We don’t have their names yet as we are still collecting information from the government of Malawi in order to get more detail about the accident,” the source, which preferred anonymity, said.
He said they received initial information about the accident from one of the Tanzanian survivors who identified himself as Richard Makonyi.
Karonga District Commissioner Gasten Taulo Macheka also confirmed this in a telephone interview that the tragedy befell a Lilongwe to Dar es Salaam bound bus. He said it happened at Mlale trading centre, about 33 kilometres from Karonga town.
“Three Tanzanian nationals have been reported among the eight dead in the bus accident that happened at Mlale trading centre at around 3.30am on Monday,” Macheka, said.
Macheka added: “The information I have now is that eight people have reportedly died and 11 are injured, among the dead are Tanzanians whose number though is not yet confirmed.”
He said the injured were undergoing treatment at Karonga District Hospital and added that the government of Malawi was trying its best to save the lives of those casualties whose conditions were still bad.
Another source related to Richard Makonyi said that due to congestion of patients at Karonga District Hospital, he had decided to travel to Mbeya for treatment.
He named the bus involved in the accident as Mohamed Coach.
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