Africa-Press – Zambia. Government says the authority will cover funeral expenses for all the people who died in an accident involving a Nakonde bound bus and a Tanzanian registered Scania Truck yesterday.
Six people died on the spot while forty others including a bus driver escaped with serious injuries, in a road traffic accident that happened at Kanakashi village about 45 kilometers north of Shiwang’andu district along Great North Road.
Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) National Coordinator Chanda Kabwe announced that the government will provide coffins and other logistical support, to the affected families, in order to ease their burden.
Mr Kabwe has since directed Muchinga Province DMMU Regional Coordinator and Shiwang’andu District Commissioner Evelyn Kangwa who is also the District Disaster Management Committee Chairperson, to collaborate and quickly submit the budget to his office, indicating all the funeral expenses.
The National Coordinator has further directed the Regional Coordinator and Chinsali District Commissioner Mary Chifuna to work with the District Health Director to ensure that survivors of the accident who may require evacuation are helped.
He said the regional office should also provide food to Chinsali General Hospital, to help cater for all the relatives of the survivors who are looking after them at the hospital.
And Mr Kabwe has sympathized with the deceased families over the loss of lives and wished them God’s comfort during this difficult time. He said the government is concerned with the increased number of road traffic accidents that have continued to claim the lives of people.
The DMMU National Coordinator explained that the government through his unit has taken up the funeral expenses for the Nakonde bound bus accident as it falls in the category of what could be considered as a disaster.
“To all the bereaved families, please accept my government’s deepest condolences for the untimely death of your beloved ones. As a government, we sympathize with you and we will ensure that all the funeral expenses are taken care of,” Mr Kabwe stated.
Mr Kabwe has since cautioned motorists, especially public transport drivers and truck drivers to be vigilant on the road, in order to avoid causing accidents that have continued to claim precious lives of people.
He said the government has continued to do its part to reduce road traffic accidents by upgrading and expanding roads across the country. This is according to a press statement issued to ZANIS by DMMU Senior Communications Officer Mathews Musukwa in Lusaka today.
