Zambia truck crash kills 19

At least 19 people were killed and five injured after a truck in which they were travelling plunged into a river in northern Zambia, police said on Wednesday.

The accident happened on Tuesday night when 57 people, mainly traders in goats and beans, were travelling to Kasama city, around 850 kilometres (about 525 miles) north of the capital, Lusaka, provincial police commissioner Jestus Nsokolo told AFP.

"So far, 19 have died and 21 escaped unhurt while five are in a critical condition," he said, adding that the driver was believed to have been going too fast.

The driver was unscathed and escaped the scene, Nsokolo said.