Police spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo has refuted a Times of Zambia story which claimed that seven perished in a road traffic accident which happened on Sunday.

In a statement today, Katongo revealed that in fact, no one died on the spot and only one person died in the early hours of Monday.

“Contrary to what has been reported in today’s Times of Zambia under the headline “SEVEN PERISH IN ROAD ACCIDENT,” no person died on the spot in an accident which happened yesterday 18th November, 2018 in Kabangwe on Great North Road. Only one person died in the early hours of today from UTH where the injured were rushed for medication. The report which we recieved yesterday was that of a serious Road Traffic Accident which occurred at about 14:20 hours near Kabangwe Police Post along Great North Road involving Watson Zulu of Chazanga Compound who was driving a Toyota Hiace registration number BAC 4136 from north to south and an also an unknown driver who was driving a Toyota Hiace registration number BAG 4659 from south to north who ran away after the accident,” stated Katongo.

“The accident occurred due to excessive speed by the driver of the Toyota Hiace bus registration number BAG 4659 who in the process lost control of the motor vehicle and went to hit into the on-coming bus being driven by Watson Zulu who also lost control of the vehicle and fell on the left side of the road. 15 passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to UTH and Chingwere Clinic respectively. One of those that were rushed to UTH died in the early hours of today. Only one person has died in the said accident and not seven as reported by the Times of Zambia. The other victims are still undergoing treatment.”