Six people, including two drivers, have died, three passengers were seriously injured, and 18 others escaped with minor injuries following two separate, but single-scene road accidents involving a stationery Central Poultry Freightliner, and two other vehicles that occurred near Katete Farm road junction, along the Lilongwe By-Pass road on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at around 19:20 hours.
Lilongwe Police Publicist Inspector Hastings Chigalu has confirmed the development.
Chigaru said that on this particular day, William Banda, (other details not yet provided) was driving a Tata lorry registration number DA 5273, from the direction of the By-Pass roundabout heading towards Zamkutu Trading Centre with 21 passengers onboard.
Soon after passing Katete Farm road junction, Banda hit the rear part of stationery, broken down Central Poultry Freightliner, registration number NA 4718/ CP 3863, whose driver was John Njolomole (deceased), 55, of Njolomole Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Njolomole, Ntcheu.
“Following the impact, a passenger who was seated in front identified as Goliati Lekinala, sustained head injuries, fractured legs, and was pronounced dead upon arrival at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH),” he explained
According to Chigaru, three other passengers namely Victoria Masautso, 20, sustained a fractured left leg, Brandina Kalulunga, 14, sustained head injuries, and Juliet Bandawe, 4, suffered a deep, intestines-exposing wound.
While people were rescuing casualties at the accident scene around 19:45 hours, from the same direction of the By-Pass roundabout, a cruising Mazda Axela car, registration number NU 10495, that was being driven by Kesswell Munthali (deceased), 38, of Chiwoza Village, T/A Chikulamayembe, Rumphi, lost control of the vehicle and swerved to the extreme nearside where he hit four people, including Njolomole, (Central Poultry driver,) who were busy rescuing casualties who were stuck in the Tata truck.
Following the impact, Munthali, Njolomole, and the three other casualties (yet to be identified), sustained severe head injuries and multiple fractures.
They were all pronounced dead upon arrival at KCH. This brought the total number of people killed in the two incidents to six.
Meanwhile, those injured have been admitted at the Central Hospital, and the bodies of the deceased are at the same health facility’s mortuary.
