Two people have died while seven others have sustained serious injuries after two motor vehicles collided at Mpima Forest in Mangochi.
Mangochi Police Station Publicist Sub Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi said the accident occurred last night along Arthur Peter Mutharika Highway.
Daudi added that a Toyota Sienta registration NN8943 was being driven by an unidentified driver from the direction of Liwonde heading towards Mangochi boma with one unidentified female passenger on board.
“Upon arrival at Mpima forest, the driver was overtaking an unregistered motorcycle which was heading the same direction,” she said.
She went on to say that in the process, the vehicle collided head on with another Sienta motor vehicle registration BZ4264 which was being driven by Cidreck Edwin and had carried five passengers on board heading the opposite direction.
As a result, Edwin swerved to other side of the offside lane where he also hit the unregistered motorcycle.
Following the impact, the unidentified driver and female passenger sustained serious head injuries and were pronounced dead upon arrival at Mangochi District Hospital.
The other driver (Edwin) and the rider sustained serious injuries while the five passengers sustained various degrees of injuries. All victims are admitted at the same hospital.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the two are being kept at Mangochi District Hospital mortuary.
Police have since appealed to the public to contact the nearest police or visit Mangochi District Hospital mortuary if any of their relatives is reported missing.
If only there were warning markings on the road something like “MAXIMUM SPEED 70 Kmph”. Lives would have been saved today. Condolences to the families of the afflicted. Malawi Road Traffic Department, you have failed once again due to negligence of your duties. You would have allocated some funds to put warning signs, road lighting, speed breakers and more police checks on this road, but you have neglected. Please use taxpayers money to focus on more important items (eg. saving lives of the public), eg. road lighting and markings, fixing of potholes and damaged roads, straighten up the roads that are eaten up at the sides, install more road traffic signs and signals in visible areas, and areas where its really dangerous (eg. no overtaking signs before and after dangerous curves), more road traffic police or Malawi police presence on roads to check for and record first time offenders (eg. reckless driving) into a register. Install computerized traffic cameras that are linked to central road traffic administration (eg. Lilongwe, Blantyre Zomba etc.). Please make better use of our taxpayer monies.