Over speeding minibus driver causes horror accident in Lilongwe
Another horror road accident has been recorded at Mtengowanthenga in Lilongwe with eye witnesses saying a minibus driver was over speeding and caused grievous injuries to the passengers as Police are yet to confirm is there has been any death.
The accident was so bad that so many people including women were seen being evacuated for hospital treatment with serious injuries.
“There were life threatening injuries and some appeared dead,” said an eye witness.
Police could not immediately verify the death reports.
The statistics from the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) paint a grim picture of the horror in road carnage as the number of road accidents on Malawi roads has almost tripled over the past five years, killing roughly 1 300 people annually,.
From July to September this year, 329 lives were lost on the country’s roads.
According to DRTSS spokesperson Angelina Makweche, the death rate is soaring due to over-speeding.
“There were 854 road accidents between July and September this year. About 330 lives were lost,” she says.
Law enforcers, policy makers and a road traffic expert say drivers’ carelessness is the major cause of the mishaps.
Other road users argue that while over-speeding was a cause of the accidents, the primary cause was poor road network.
One road accident victim, Godfrey Mfiti, is on record saying that corruption among road traffic officials is a major contributing factor to the accidents.
Mfiti—a renowned local environmental activist—who said he saw death pay him a blind visit, but somehow, passed him as it consumed 10 fellow passengers on that doomed bus trip from Blantyre to Lilongwe a month ago.
He said he does not understand how the police allowed the bus they were travelling in to pass through the road block when it was obvious that the bus was speeding beyond the recommended limit. Mfiti suspects it was because of corruption.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
How dare people take photos of victims instead of helping them to hospitals? You are just as bad as the reckless drivers, corrupt officials and certainly no better than mfiti….shame on you
We have too many fool drivers in Malawi. They do not know when to overtake. Just like a driver of NA 369! Just imagine overtaking 5 cars on curve without paying attention to incoming vehicles. Ur dependents will suffer after u had gone because of your stupidity. Have a good day
Choonde kupaliamentiko mupange lamulo kuti passenger vehicle iliyonse maka ma min bus onse othamanga kupyolera 95kmph , driveryo azilipila chindapusa cha K150,000 ndinso kumangidwa miyezi six . osati kumulola overspeeding ndi kumumanga pokhapokha atapha anthu, izo sinzeru. nanga iye akafa nawo mumanga ndani, nanga K150,000 apereka ndani. choonde auzeni mabwanawo ku Lilongweko pompano thamangani mukawauze. akapanda kusintha izi ine sindidzavotera MP OR PULEZIDENT ALIYENSE. Kumangotha ndalama zathu za misonkho osakonza zoononga dziko ngati azi? mmloo . Komanso wa trafic aliyense olandira ziphuphu ndikumulola driver overspeeding azipereka chindapusa cha K250,000 NDI KUMANGIDWA MIYEZI 9. This is Magufuli governance.
Where is the traffic department.? Which party is ruling? Who is responsible of looking over roads? The answer to all these question is no-one. We have imaginary portfolios but people are driving the way they wish on these 1960 type of roads. Kamuzu tried to make changes but also failed with ( zonse zimene ndizaKakamuzu Banda!) choruses. After Kamuzu hungry hyenas forgot Chitukuko and focused on pocketing money and to fulfil their underworld philosophy of killing Malawi beyond poverty level. Now look at roads., agriculture, jobs, service delivery, etc…etc… Did referendum struggle we sweated for mean this? Anyone who wants… Read more »
Mr Mfiti how can roadblocks detect that the bus driver is overspeeding? It is our responsibility as passangers to stop these overzealous drivers and report reckless driving to police at the check points.
put a system at all road blocks that will take the time is passing and compare with the time the vehicle arrives at the next road. Using simple mathematics algorithms average speed will be determined by the system.
I envision a system that should be able to take car details like number plate, driver’s license, colour of the vehicle etc.
We just need to be serious this can be arrested. Imagination at work.
Kunena zowona ma mini bus akumathamanga kwambili , chonde a Traffic chitanipo kanthu pa speed ya ma bus
Is it ethical to post such images of the victims? I am sure no consent was sought from them. I am not a journalist but I can bet Nyasatimes should know better.
It is very unethical to post such horrific pictures without warning the readers. Editor you’ve grossly failed your job!!
I wish the injured speedy recovery. A point of correction-Mtengowanthenga is in Dowa not Lilongwe.
Koma inu zimenezi abale ooooo my Lord muwathandize a nthuwa ,komaso vuto ndi ma passengers timachedwa kwathuko ,ichimwagwira icho mwagwira ,mukakwera mumati changu dalaivala eeeeee tachedwa eeeeeee ungoyenda ngati ukukwawa ,pamene wina akuti speed yachuluka muchepetseko ndi pamene wina akutenga nyuzi pepala mkumawerenga akuti waphoza wasongola akuti giya m’manja adalaivala mchibwanatu chimenechi ,nanga taonani zachitikazi komabe sorry good licovery
There are so many factors which combine to cause all these road accidents. Each factor concerns a specific office or group of people. Unfortunately, each pushes the blame to the others. The public blames the Traffic Police for tolerating careless drivers (for whatever reasons), and the DRTSS for issuing licenses to unqualified people. These blame the public for failure to react when drivers of vehicles they are travelling in become careless. The drivers blame those responsible for ensuring good road conditions etc, etc, etc. What we need is someone who can come up with a policy that brings together all… Read more »