3 students perish in Kabwe car crash
By Thandizo Banda
THREE Mulugushi University students have died in a road traffic accident in Kabwe.
Central Province police commanding officer Lemekani Chirwa told The Mast the fatal road traffic accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday.
“The accident took place between 03:30 hours and 04:00 hours along the Great North Road at the Mulungushi Bridge, in close proximity to the Mulungushi University Kabwe Campus,” Chirwa said.
He said preliminary police reports indicated that the driver of a Mercedes Benz C200 registration BBC 6881 was travelling towards Kabwe when he lost control of the vehicle due to excessive speed.
“The vehicle subsequently overturned, resulting in extensive damage and multiple casualties,” Chirwa said.
He explained that the vehicle was carrying six occupants at the time of the crash.
“Three individuals were pronounced dead at the scene identified as Mukuka Chanda, a third-year student and the driver of the vehicle. Chanda is also believed to have been serving as the current president of the School of Agriculture at Mulungushi University,” Chirwa said.
Police identified the other other victims as Felix Luther, a third-year student and a 24-year-old fourth-year student identified as Mwangula Kabwe.
“The bodies of the deceased were deposited into the Kabwe Central Hospital mortuary, where they await postmortem examinations to officially ascertain the cause of death,” Chirwa said.
He said three other passengers survived the crash with varying degrees of injury and were receiving treatment at Kabwe Central Hospital.
“Willard Phiri, 24, a third-year student, sustained a deep laceration to the right side of the head and general body trauma, Ashford Soko, 24, sustained a facial laceration, a swollen left eye and general body pains, Chongo Mutembula, 24 sustained injuries, including bleeding from the right eye and severe chest pains,” Chirwa said.
