15 Somali nationals suffocate to death in truck in Zambia

At least 15 people believed to be Somalians, have died after suffocating in a containerised truck they were being transported in.

The deaths occured as the victims were being transported by a suspected human trafficking syndicate in Chembe district in Luapula Province of Zambia.

The deceased were bundled in the lorry which also contained bags of beans and groundnuts which were intercepted 20 kilometers from the Levy Mwanawasa Bridge which borders Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Congolese officials intercepted the truck after hearing some loud bang that was coming from the truck, according to the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday.

Copperbelt Police Commissioner Charity Katanga confirmed the incident but noted that the police were still waiting for a full report.

But an eyewitness Humphrey Kapapula told the state broadcaster that 15 Somali nationals are suspected to have died in the lorry.

Other reports have put the figure at 20.BBC