Five perish in Chitambo-Mansa Road mishap

A horrific road traffic accident along the vital Chitambo-Mansa Road in Serenje District has claimed the lives of five individuals, casting a dark cloud over Central Province. According to police reports, the fatal crash occurred on November 1, 2026, around midday in the Mpelembe area, roughly 130 kilometers from Serenje district. The tragic incident involved a Toyota Hiace minibus traveling south and two Howo trucks transporting essential agricultural supplies, specifically bags of urea and D-Compound fertilizer, moving in the opposite direction. Central Province Police Commissioner Lemekani Chirwa detailed that preliminary investigations indicate the driver of the minibus failed to keep to his nearside lane, leading to a catastrophic chain reaction. The minibus first clipped one of the heavy-duty trucks before careening into the second oncoming truck. The impact caused the driver to completely lose control of the vehicle, resulting in the minibus veering off the road and violently overturning. Four passengers tragically died on the spot from severe impact injuries, while the driver succumbed to his injuries shortly after being rushed to the Mpelembe Rural Health Post. Authorities have identified some of the victims as Musonda Emmanuel of Serenje, Blessing Munyenyembe of Solwezi, Kunda Dina of Lusaka, and Precious Miti of Lusaka, alongside the minibus driver, Melvin Chipasha. The remains of the deceased were swiftly conveyed to the Serenje District Hospital mortuary to undergo postmortem examinations, while the drivers of both trucks escaped the wreckage without physical injuries. The accident highlights the persistent dangers faced by commuters traveling along major regional trade and transport corridors in Zambia. This devastating crash underscores ongoing concerns regarding road safety standards on Zambia's trunk roads, particularly routes like the Chitambo-Mansa highway that experience heavy mixed traffic comprising high-speed passenger vehicles and overload