Maputo: Bus crashes into Ministry of Defence building, 23 injured – O País

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Maputo: Bus crashes into Ministry of Defence building, 23 injured – O País

1:06 CAT | 20 Sep 2022

Photo: O País

Twenty-three people were injured when a passenger bus crashed into the Ministry of National Defence building in Maputo City. Mechanical problems are suspected to have caused the accident.

The head of Communication and Image at the Ministry of National Defence, Benjamim Chabualo, who witnessed the accident, says he felt the shock twice. “The first one was more or less light, ” he says. “A moment later, we heard a louder crash. We felt that the walls had been hit, and when we opened the windows we saw that there had indeed been an accident.”

The victims were taken to Maputo Central Hospital, where two remain hospitalised and in serious condition. The chief physician of the Emergency Room at the largest health unit in the country, Justino Madeira, said that, of the 23 victims, four had already been discharged, and four were still under observation in the operating room. A further three less seriously injured patients are also under observation, and 12 with various injuries and traumas are also being evaluated.

The Maputo Metropolitan Transport Agency says that the passenger bus involved was not following its predefined route, and the driver would have to provide some explanation.

“It’s not a place where buses normally circulate, so it’s difficult to understand. We would first have to talk to the driver himself, who is currently in hospital, according to the Traffic Police. He and the ticket collector were injured. We need to talk to them to understand what happened.”

It is not the first time that a bus has crashed in Maputo city. Mechanical problems are almost always cited as the cause of accidents.

By Isaura Manjate

Source: O País