At least five people were killed and 10 others were injured in a road accident on Sunday morning in Matola, on the outskirts of Maputo, southern Mozambique, police said.
The accident occurred at around 10:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. Lisbon time) on the Maputo ring road and involved a passenger van, said Jose Novela, a spokesman for the Maputo provincial traffic police.
“The doctor confirmed five deaths, four serious injuries and six minor injuries. [As vítimas] “They were believers in the church and went to the community,” said Jose Novela, quoted by Radio Mozambique.
A police spokesman said the victims were taken to Matola Provincial Hospital and Maputo Central Hospital, citing speeding and improper overtaking as the causes of the accident.
Mozambique has recorded more than 4,800 road traffic deaths in the past five years, according to figures released on May 22 by the Mozambican government, which is calling for community involvement in the fight against the scourge.
“The road safety situation in Mozambique is very worrying, as in the last five years, for example, 4,812 people have died on our roads in 5,459 road accidents,” said Ambrosio Sitoe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications.