Road accident kills 22 in Manica

Chimoio (Mozambique), 25 Mar (AIM) – At least 22 people lost their lives and another four were seriously injured in a traffic accident that took place on Monday in the Cafumpe region of Gondola district, in the central Mozambican province of Manica.

The tragedy, which took place along National Road Number Six (EN6) at around 13.00, involved a passenger car and a long-distance lorry travelling in opposite directions.

When they reached the Cafumpe area, they collided head-on. Of the fatalities, 19 died at the scene of the accident and three at the Manica Provincial Hospital in the city of Chimoio (HPC).

The long-haul lorry was carrying goods from the port city of Beira while the passenger car was bound for Gondola. In addition to the loss of human life, the two vehicles suffered extensive damage.

The driver of the passenger car is a police officer. He and the lorry driver only sustained injuries.
Mouzinho Manasse, head of the Public Relations department at the Manica Provincial Police Command, explained that the road accident was caused by a failure to observe basic traffic rules.
He said that the accident was a violent head-on collision, in which the passenger vehicle was thrown off the road and the lorry fell on top of it.

“At the scene there were 19 fatalities and five minor and serious injuries. The two vehicles were destroyed. Among the fatalities were three minors who were travelling with their families. The injured were promptly taken to the nearest health centre. The most seriously injured were taken to the Chimoio Provincial Hospital (HPC), where they are receiving medical attention”, he said.

The Manica provicial governor, Francisca Tomás, travelled to the HPC to comfort the injured and encourage the health professionals in their mission to save lives.

“What happened today, in which we lost 20 of our fellow citizens, is lamentable”, she said. “It calls on us to be more responsible when we are on the roads”.

For his part, Lourenço Lindonde, secretary of state of Manica province, said that if “we had been more careful, we would have avoided the loss of many lives.”

“We have come, as a government, to encourage health professionals to continue saving lives. Let them do everything they can so that the worst doesn’t happen to these patients who are currently hospitalized. Not just the victims of road accidents, but everyone who is currently under medical care. Our appeal to you is to drive carefully and responsibly. Know that we are transporting human lives”, he said.
(AIM)
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