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Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
Three people died on the spot after two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision on Sunday night, police have confirmed. The accident occurred at the 89km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road at around 7PM. Drivers of both vehicles and a juvenile died on the spot. The deceased drivers were identified as Mvelasi Emmanuel, 32, and Khumbulani Francis Ndebele, 40.

The name of the juvenile whose age was estimated to be between 5 and 10 years, could not be established at the time of going to Press.

A witness, Nkululeko Sibanda, said the driver of a Ford Telstar, who was heading towards Beitbridge, encroached into the lane of a Toyota which was heading towards Bulawayo resulting in the head-on collision.

Sibanda said both vehicles were travelling at high speed.

“The Fire Brigade was called to rescue some of the passengers who were trapped in the wreckage but sadly the ambulance was delayed. We heard that it had to pass through a service station for refuelling before coming to the scene,” said Sibanda.

He said the juvenile who died at the scene was coming from South Africa on his way back to school.

Matabeleland South acting police spokesperson, Sergeant Thabani Mkhwananzi, could not be reached for comment.

A police source said: “Three people died, two of them drivers of both vehicles and a juvenile. The accident occurred when their vehicles were involved in a head-on collision at the 89km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road.”

Mvelasi was driving the Toyota travelling towards Beitbridge while Ndebele was driving the Ford towards Bulawayo when the accident occurred.

Eight passengers from both vehicles were injured and are admitted to the United Bulawayo Hospitals and Gwanda Provincial Hospital.