Road accident at Rivirivi Bridge exposes Malawi’s loose emergency response services
Road accident involving a bus at Rivirivi Bridge has exposed Malawi’s loose emergency response services after both police and medical personnel took over two hours to rescue a woman who was trapped by the fallen Future Tours Bus with the registration number BLK 4093.
The woman had consistently kept crying out for help to the point where onlookers feared her dead after she had gone silent only to find her still breathing after the rescue.
Onlookers at the scene were observed wailing whilst others fainted as they couldn’t contain the sight of the injured survivors.
Balaka District Hospital which responded to the accident where ten people have been confirmed dead, three have sustained serious injuries and 45 others have escaped with minor injuries, seemed to have been overwhelmed.
Only seven medical personnel were available to assist the casualties. A single ambulance was available to ferry injured people to the hospital while dead bodies remained on the scene.
Spokesperson for Balaka Hospital Spokesperson, Mercy Nyirenda, said some of the injured have been referred to Zomba Central Hospital, which is 81 kilometres away from the Balaka for specialized treatment.
According to Ntcheu Police Public Relations Officer Hastings Chigalu, the bus which was travelling from Lilongwe to Blantyre burst one of its tyres and the driver lost control trying to navigate a turn causing the bus to overturn several times before resting at the steel bars of the bridge.
“While at the scene legs, hands, and other body parts were collected separately from their bodies and sent to the waiting ambulance,” said Chigalu told Mana.
According to an eye witness at the scene, James Ngozo, the bus overturned three times before hitting a bridge pavement.
“The bus was speeding and we first heard the sound of the tyre bursting the crashing followed. We rushed to find people crying whilst others were trying to escape” said Ngozo.
Some of the factors that, as a nation, we seriously need to consider to avoid such horrific road accidents:
1) Over-speeding
2) How our drivers obtain driving license
3) Transit service. In those days buses could be checked before connecting routes. Is this happening now.
4) Did the driver have enough rest?
5) Was the driver not drunk
6) Quality of our national roads
7) Did the bus load according to the carrying capacity?
Dzachitsoni, mdzimu wawo uwutse muntendele, kwaovulala Yehova wa mphamvu ya machilitso awakhudze ndiku chilitsidwa.
Pakufunika boma lipangeko kanthu, ma bus akuthamanga kwambiri, ma bus ena akumadutsa 120Kms/hr zimene zili zinthu zovuta kuti driver apange control bus china chake chikachitika. Pakufunika pakhazikitsidwe malamulo okhwima okhudzana ndi speed ya ma bus
Tyres, just like almost EVERYTHING ELSE, are made according to suit different environments. One of the main considerations is the temperature of the place where the tyre is going to be used. Tyres made for temperatures of Europe are not suitable for use in the Sahara region. Is there anybody out there who has the responsibility of ensuring that the tyres we that come into Malawi meet the requirements of Malawi’s conditions? Kapena timangoti bola tyre? I am not talking of the Traffic Police because those guys only judge a tyre by its appearance, they know nothing about its technical… Read more »
KOmanso anthufe tikaona kuti driver alkuthamanga tidzimuyankhula. Always timati tikafika msanga which is wrong.
Ndalama akungodya osagula ma ambulance. Cashgaters money zili kuti? Nyumba ya treaser senzani osagulitsa bwanji and buy ambulances?
ngozi ndi ngozi chabwino..koma tell me a ma bus,mumathamangila chani kodi??kungoyenda pang’ono sizitheka kodi?
This is too sad and a big tragedy to the family members who lost their beloved ones. May the Almighty receive the soul of these deceased bodies
This is too sad and a big tragedy to the family members who has their beloved ones. May the Almighty receive the soul of these deacsed bodies.
ma bus akwathu kuno mukumalemba ma driver ambili ogula ma driving licence. pataikidwa malamulo okwima a insurance, nanga ose afa, avulalawa pali ma COMPESANTION????????????? cifukwa akakhala okufa ovulala ndi ma bwana olo family, a boma amati anafedwa ,athandizidwa- public funds iiiyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy