19 killed as truck plunges into river in Zambia

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) – At least 19 people were killed and five others injured when a truck they were traveling on overturned and plunged into a river in Mungwi district north of Zambia on Wednesday, an official said.

In a statement, Jestus Nsokolo, regional police chief, said the truck carrying 57 people, mostly traders of a mobile phone market, lost control due to over-speeding and overloading.

He said the bodies were sent to a hospital mortuary, and the injured were hospitalized. The truck driver was on the run, he added.

Expressing grief over the tragic accident, regional deputy campaign manager for incumbent President Edgar Lungu’s Patriotic Front announced that political campaigns for the August’s general elections in the area had temporarily been halted for the party to mourn with the bereaved families.