4 SOCCER FANS DIE IN CRASH
FOUR soccer fans died after the car, a Mazda 626, they were traveling in smashed into a stationary truck at Ndzevane on Sunday night.
Three died at the scene of the accident whilst two were rushed to Good Shepherd Hospital at Siteki where one later died. The other one was still in critical condition yesterday.
Police Public Relations Officer Vusie Masuku said the truck had developed mechanical faults when the accident happened.
The deceased were part of scores of fans returning from Somhlolo National Stadium following the game between Sihlangu and Kenya national team. All four who died were men while a woman survived.
The car was driven by a 33-year-old teacher of Ndzevane. The truck driver escaped unhurt.
It was said that when the fans’ car hit truck, there was no other object that might have disturbed the vehicle because the road had recently been resurfaced.
The accident comes barely two days after 12 soccer fans were crushed as they tried to leave a stadium after Zambia defeated Republic of Congo in an African Cup qualifier.
Sports minister Gabriel Namulambe visited Konkola Stadium in the northern Copperbelt mining town of Chililabombwe where he was quoted as having said the government had ordered the Zambian Football Association to take steps to prevent a repeat of the Saturday tragedy.
“At the end of the soccer match we all thought everything had ended well only to be shocked with the news that 12 fans had died after the match,” he said on state-owned Television Zambia.
Namulambe was also quoted as having said the victims were caught in a stampede started by a group of fans who wanted to re-enter the stadium when the main body of more than 30 000 other fans were fighting to leave. He is said to have said said the government would pay for the funeral expenses of the dead, which, according to the official Sunday Times newspaper, were nine men and three women.
Up to 50 people sustained slight injuries, but only one remained hospitalised late Sunday.
The match should have started at 3 p.m. but was delayed an hour because of the late arrival of the referee. Afterward, there was more confusion at a hospital as family members tried to identify the deceased, prompting local police to send in 50 extra officers to control the grieving crowd. The Zambian government has set up a committee to investigate and ordered it to report back by next Friday, Namulambe said.
The president of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, sent a message of condolences to the Zambian government.
Zambia won the match 3-0 to send it into second position in its qualifying group.
Three died at the scene of the accident whilst two were rushed to Good Shepherd Hospital at Siteki where one later died. The other one was still in critical condition yesterday.
Police Public Relations Officer Vusie Masuku said the truck had developed mechanical faults when the accident happened.
The deceased were part of scores of fans returning from Somhlolo National Stadium following the game between Sihlangu and Kenya national team. All four who died were men while a woman survived.
The car was driven by a 33-year-old teacher of Ndzevane. The truck driver escaped unhurt.
It was said that when the fans’ car hit truck, there was no other object that might have disturbed the vehicle because the road had recently been resurfaced.
The accident comes barely two days after 12 soccer fans were crushed as they tried to leave a stadium after Zambia defeated Republic of Congo in an African Cup qualifier.
Sports minister Gabriel Namulambe visited Konkola Stadium in the northern Copperbelt mining town of Chililabombwe where he was quoted as having said the government had ordered the Zambian Football Association to take steps to prevent a repeat of the Saturday tragedy.
“At the end of the soccer match we all thought everything had ended well only to be shocked with the news that 12 fans had died after the match,” he said on state-owned Television Zambia.
Namulambe was also quoted as having said the victims were caught in a stampede started by a group of fans who wanted to re-enter the stadium when the main body of more than 30 000 other fans were fighting to leave. He is said to have said said the government would pay for the funeral expenses of the dead, which, according to the official Sunday Times newspaper, were nine men and three women.
Up to 50 people sustained slight injuries, but only one remained hospitalised late Sunday.
The match should have started at 3 p.m. but was delayed an hour because of the late arrival of the referee. Afterward, there was more confusion at a hospital as family members tried to identify the deceased, prompting local police to send in 50 extra officers to control the grieving crowd. The Zambian government has set up a committee to investigate and ordered it to report back by next Friday, Namulambe said.
The president of the Confederation of African Football, Issa Hayatou, sent a message of condolences to the Zambian government.
Zambia won the match 3-0 to send it into second position in its qualifying group.
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