The four accident victims from Solwezi Queens Academy who sustained life-threatening injuries were flown to Lusaka and are now receiving care at university teaching hospitals.
The government, specifically the Ministry of Youth, Art, and Sports and their health counterparts, have subsequently received thanks from Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president Andrew Kamanga for making it possible for the seriously ill patients to be evacuated.
Emeriana Melitu, Mwandu Musonda, Regina Sanduke, and Ruth Chinyama are the members of the quartet that were airlifted to safety by a Zambia Air Force aircraft.
“The four players have been flown to Lusaka on recommendation from the medics and we are grateful that government has made this possible through the ministry of sports and their health counterparts,” Kamanga said in a statement.
“The quartet is now at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and we are monitoring their progress, ” he said.
The players and technical personnel who had been released from Mkushi District Hospital, according to Mr. Kamanga, were being transported back to Solwezi.
“In the meantime, we have dispatched our General Secretary to Mkushi to coordinate the dispatch of the bodies to Solwezi and also the survivors who are out of danger back to their bases,” he says.
Additionally, Mr. Kamanga stated that FAZ would cover the costs of the deceased’s burial while collaborating closely with the families and the province government.
He also expressed his gratitude to the North Western and Central Province football administration for acting rapidly to address the disaster and see to the treatment of the survivors.
On Saturday morning as the squad was traveling to Mpika for a Week Four match against Mpika Doves, the Solwezi Queens Academy bus was involved in a traffic accident along the Serenje-Mpika road.
This is according to a statement made by Sydney Mungala, the FAZ’s communications manager.
