Eight people have yesterday died in a road accident at around 3:30 pm at Kaseye bridge in Chitipa.
The eight were part of the 72 members who belong to the International African Church (IAC) and were aboard the vehicle returning from a church crusade at Ifumbo back to Lufita.
According to a police report from Chitipa Police Station, the accident happened when a motor vehicle, registration number RU 1141, a Fuso Fighter lorry driven by a Mr Kingsley Mlenga, fell into Kaseye River after the driver failed to control it as its tyres went to the extreme nearside of the bridge and broke its planks.
Due to impact of the fall of the vehicle, the eight deceased persons sustained various degrees of injuries and died upon arrival at Chitipa District Hospital.
And one male member, Godfrey Sibale, sustained a fracture on the left upper arm and the other 63 passengers escaped with different degrees of injuries and are since admitted at the district hospital.
Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle is at large as efforts by the police to tress his whereabouts are underway.
The police further advise drivers in the country to always be conscious and check the safety of timber bridges before they cross them.
