Nine people drowned after a passenger drove a vehicle into a flooded bridge, where it was swept away and submerged, trapping all occupants.
Police confirmed the incident involving a Toyota Noah, which occurred while attempting to cross the flooded Tshangamutope River in the Mukula area of Filabusi on January 22 at around 10 PM.
“The driver had stopped the vehicle and disembarked to assess the water level, leaving the keys in the ignition.
“One of the passengers then drove the vehicle into the flooded bridge, where it was subsequently swept away and submerged, trapping all the occupants.
“On January 23, with assistance from the community, the bodies were retrieved.
“The victims included five adult females, two adult males, one female juvenile, and a male toddler.
“Two of the victims have been positively identified, while efforts to identify the remaining individuals are ongoing.
“The bodies have been conveyed to the Filabusi District Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examinations.”
