At least 18 people died while 20 others sustained serious injuries in road traffic accidents recorded during Zambia’s long weekend, the police said on Thursday.
The country recorded a total of 236 road traffic accidents during this year’s Heroes and Unity holidays that lasted from Saturday to Tuesday, police spokesperson Esther Mwaata-Katongo said.
She, however, noted that the accidents recorded during this year’s Heroes and Unity holidays declined from last year’s figures when 274 accidents were recorded.
Lusaka, the country’s capital, recorded the highest number of accidents accounting for 117 accidents followed by the Copperbelt province with 33 accidents and Central province with 25 accidents.
The police spokesperson attributed the reduction in road traffic accidents to restricted movements in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the presence of traffic police officers on major roads and accident-prone areas.
