•A POLICE officer with onlookers watch what has remained of a Toyota Noah in which seven members of the same family died in Pemba yesterday.

By CHARITY MOONGA  and BRIAN HATYOKA –
EIGHT people, seven of them from the same family,  have died in a road accident in Pemba District, Southern Province.
The accident, which happened yesterday around 09:40 hours on Livingstone road, involved a DAF truck and trailer laden with copper and a Toyota Noah, which was being driven by Kennedy Bwalya, 41, of Zambia National Service in Choma.
Police deputy spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said the north-bound Noah,  registration number AJB 9866, had on board three women and three children who died on the spot.
The truck with registration numbers DGS 921 GP, BF 72 YM GP and BH31 FM GP was being driven by a Zimbabwean, Edmore Matimba, aged 34, who has since been arrested.
The accident happened on a curve in Chisekesi area when the Noah attempted to overtake, but in the process hit a cyclist who then got trapped in the vehicle.
He was dragged along until the Noah collided with the oncoming truck where the eight died on the spot.
Mr Hamoonga said the truck then went on to hit another cyclist who was on the side of the road.
Those who died were Joyce Makumba, 58, of Mukopa Village in Chief Nkolemfumu in Kasama, Annie Musa, 50, of house number 3632 Mt Gomeri, Choma and Mwangala Lifamelo, 32, of the same village.
Others were Lifamelo’s children; seven-month-old Janet, three-years-and-seven-month-old Blessings and Loveness, four. The cyclist who died on the spot was identified as Rex Hamanyangwe of Silwili village.
Mr Hamoonga said a passenger from the truck, identified as Christopher Malunga, 32, a security guard of Afrisec Company in Lusaka had been admitted to Monze General Hospital.
All   the bodies   are  in  Choma District Hospital mortuary awaiting identification and postmortem.
“The  driver of the truck is currently being interviewed at Monze Police Station to help in establishing the cause of the accident. All the bodies are lying in Monze General Hospital mortuary awaiting identification and postmortem,” Mr Hamoonga said in Lusaka yesterday.
Also confirming the accident, Pemba District Commissioner, Reginald Mugoba, who rushed to the accident scene, said the late Mr Bwalya was travelling to the Copperbelt.
“The late driver Mr Bwalya was travelling with his relatives to go and collect his late wife’s property on the Copperbelt. His wife died a few weeks ago,” Mr Mugoba said.
Meanwhile, a six-month-old baby died in a fire in Lusaka’s Kabanana Township on Monday this week.
Mr Hamoonga said the baby’s mother sustained burns as she attempted to rescue the baby from the inferno.
The mother, identified as Agnes Banda, was alerted about her house being on fire by her neighbour Gilbert Sakala.