55 survive bus fire accident
At least 55 people escaped unhurt when Axa Bus Company executive coach caught fire and was burnt to ashes in Viphya Plantation, widely known as Chikangawa Forest, Mzimba on Monday night.
According to Axa Bus Company and Mzuzu Police Station officers, the bus, registration NN 7313, was coming from Blantyre heading to Mzuzu. They said as the bus passed through Viphya Plantation, the driver Reneck Kumbatira, noticed that the vehicle had caught fire.
The driver stopped the bus to allow passengers to disembark and save their luggage.
The authorities said all the passengers and bus officials came out and saved the luggage before the bus went up in flames.
Agma Holdings Limited chairperson Mark Katsonga Phiri yesterday confirmed the incident and thanked God that no life was lost. He said the fire was caused by binding.
“We thank God all our customers came out safe and they secured their cargo. Being the biggest bus company, we tried to serve our customers by allocating another bus to pick them.
“There was a bus that was already on its way to Blantyre, so we asked the officials in the bus to pick the customers and take them to Mzuzu. So, in just a short period of time we managed to take our customers to Mzuzu and the [other] bus started off for Blantyre,” he said.
Katsonga Phiri said the incident was a blow to the company as it had plans to introduce new routes.
He said the company is in the process of engaging their insurance company.
Northern Region Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya confirmed that no one was hurt in the accident.
“He stopped and advised all passengers to come out. Then they removed all their luggage. They tried to put out the fire using fire extinguishers but to no avail. So far, no loss of life or property [has been reported],” he said. n
