TRAGIC ACCIDENT: DRIVER WAS RACING

NOEL IYOMBWA writes  THE driver of the Power tools bus involved in the North Western tragic accident, was allegedly was racing with another bus to pick passengers, Derick Kaumba, one of the survivors has said. Narrating to accident to the Sun newspaper, Mr Kaumba, a Solwezi based business man who operatesfrom Kabompo said that he was returning back home to Solwezi and decided to board a Power tools bus. “I am a Solwezi resident but I do my business in Kabompo because that’s where my shop is. So on that day I was going back to Solwezi from kabompo and at 03 to 04 the bus started off. “The bus was really speeding because our bus started off at the same time with another named bus, as a result the two buses were competing in terms of who would pick passengers first. “When we reached Manyinga district there is a stationboth buses stopped and picked up passengers but our bus stated of first leaving the named bus behind but within a short distance before the bridge our bus stopped to  drop someone and so the named bus by passed us. So our bus driver started panicking and chasing the named bus so that the two buses could reach Mufumbwe station at the same time,” Mr Kaumba narrated. He said that as a result of speeding, the driver forgot that there was a dangerous curve near the bridge hence he lost control and went off the road. “I was sitting five seats behind the driver, as we were approaching the bridge I noticed that the bus had lost control, everything happened so fast but luck enough I was in a seat belt I had no option but to wait and see what next. From there I realized just how short life can be because I saw death coming, but thank God I survived. “After the bus lost control the next thing I heard was just a loud bang which made me realize we are in an accident,” he said. Mr Kaumba who was talking from the hospital where he went for an X-ray complained of chest and stomach pains. On May, 2, 2020  four people among them the driver died while 15 sustained various injuries in a Road Traffic Accident which occurred  around 04:20 hours along Manyinga- Mufumbwe M8 Road at Mundanya Bridge in Manyinga District. Involved was Chrispin Mulenga, aged 38 of Ndeke Compound,Kitwe who whilst driving a Scania bus registration  number ALT 2165 belonging to Power Tools bus services from the direction of West to East at an excessive speed and failed to negotiate a curve, lost control of the motor vehicle, careered off the road and overturned on the right side with the front part submerged into Kabompo river. Due to the impact of the accident, the driver Chrispin Mulenga and three passengers died on the spot. The other deceased have identified as Ian MutamboChali, aged 24 of Zambezi, Agness Ponda aged 32 of Kabompo and Getrude Mangowa aged 37 of Zambezi. Six sustained serious injuries, while nine (9) passengers sustained slight injuries. The Sun