Four Killed, One Injured in Chongwe Head-On Collision

A 36-year-old Chongwe District Hospital laboratory technician, Winston Mutapa, is among four people who died in a gruesome road traffic accident in Lusaka’s Silverest area in Zambia on Wednesday, 13 August 2025.

The crash, which also left one person injured, occurred when a Volvo truck collided head-on with a Toyota Vitz.

According to Chongwe Municipal Council, the accident happened at around 16:29 hours near Petroda Filling Station, opposite the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) offices along the Great East Road. The council’s fire brigade received a distress call from Chief Inspector Chongo of Chongwe Police Station and immediately dispatched a rescue team led by Leading Firefighter Brian Mulenga.

On arrival at 16:35 hours, the team found officers from the Zambia Police Service, RTSA, Zambia Air Force (ZAF), Zambia National Service (ZNS) and members of the public attempting to free victims trapped in the mangled Toyota Vitz, registration number BBA 9629.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the Volvo truck, registration ALK 7690 and loaded with bags of maize, was being driven westbound by Mr. Lameck Mumba when the driver, reportedly epileptic, lost control and veered into the opposite lane, colliding head-on with the Toyota Vitz driven by Mr. Brian Mwense Pule. Mutapa and two other passengers — three men and one woman in total — died instantly at the scene.

The rescue operation lasted nearly five hours, with assistance from ZAF and ZNS cranes, and involved hydraulic cutters, rams, chains, jacks and crowbars. The injured survivor was rushed to hospital for treatment.

Local authorities have expressed concern over the rising number of fatal accidents linked to driver negligence and non-compliance with traffic regulations, urging motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads.