Asylum seeker killed by suspected street racer

A CONGOLESE asylum seeker was killed on Thursday night after being hit by a car suspected to have been racing other cars.

The accident occurred at around 11.45pm on Thursday night on Christodoulos Hadjipavlou Street, when 31-year-old Kasongo Katunga was run down by a 24-year-old man from Limassol.

Police are investigating the possibility that the driver of the car may have been racing other cars when the accident occurred. Investigating officers have confirmed that the driver of the car was speeding.

Katunga was killed instantly from the fierce impact that left the silver sports car with severe damages to the bonnet, windshield and roof.

Car racing on streets is a frequent phenomenon on the island, despite efforts from traffic police to stamp out the problem.

Two women, both aged 20, also in the car, were injured from the impact and taken to Limassol General Hospital. One girl sustained injuries to her neck and spent the night in hospital whilst the other was treated for minor injuries and shortly released.

The 24-year-old driver, who was under the legal alcohol limit, was arrested and taken to Limassol Police Station, where he underwent questioning by investigating officers.

Police in Limassol are calling on anyone who may have seen the accident to contact them at the nearest police station or call on the civilian hotline 1460.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.