Mozambique bus accident death toll rises to 11

The number of people who died in a bus accident at Songo turn off in Tete -Mozambique on Tuesday has risen to eleven, with two confirmed to be Malawian nationals while the other 9 are yet to be identified.

Five people are being treated in Intensive Care Unit at Tete hospital, among them, driver of the bus whom immigration authorities have identified as Charles Manyopo and two expectant mothers.

The bus registration ‪‎number KMZ 56ZNGP-Trailer T/NP 10GP belonging to a South African company, Nyamende Transport Services, left South Africa on Sunday with 68 passengers and was expected in Blantyre by 3pm on Tuesday.

Speaking in an interview, Mwanza Border Post Immigration spokesperson Pasqually Zulu said 22 survivors arrived at Mwanza border at around 9am on Wednesday through a Marsmerry bus registration number
KMZ-15-Zn.

According to Zulu, the accident happened when a trailer for the bus got detached while it was cruising. It then hit a truck coming behind it.

“The  driver lost control of the bus and hit a saloon vehicle with a South African registration number before it swayed to the road side.”

“Among the dead are seven from the truck, two from the saloon car and the other two from the bus,” explained Zulu.
Mwanza police spokesperson Edwin Kaunda said an ambulance from Mwanza District Hospital was dispatched  at around 1PM on Wednesday to Tete Hospital to bring home the dead bodies and some of the patients.

“Some of the passengers who got injured have been taken from Mwanza district hospital by their relatives to hospitals close to their homes, while some were treated as out-patients and have gone home,” he
said.

Songo turn-off is about 140 kilometers from Mwanza border.

The accident happened four weeks after four men who were among some 24 Malawian nationals travelling to South Africa were shot dead by unidentified gunmen wearing military attire at Catandika in
Mozambique.