BUS CRASH KILLS 30

ACCIDENTPatrick Chitumba and Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Bureau
THIRTY people, including three minors, died while 36 were injured when a Pfochez bus burst a tyre before sideswiping a Mercedes Benz Sprinter along the Gweru-Harare Road yesterday.

The accident occurred at the 232km peg at around 1.30PM near Kwekwe River.

Police Officer Commanding Midlands Province Senior Assistant Commissioner Abigail Moyo said the Harare-bound Pfochez bus burst its front right tyre and the driver lost control of the vehicle.

“The bus encroached onto the lane of oncoming traffic and sideswiped a Bulawayo-bound Benz Sprinter,” said Snr Asst Comm Moyo.

“28 people died on the spot, two upon admission at Kwekwe District Hospital while 32 others were seriously injured.”

She said both drivers died on the spot and four people suffered minor injuries.

The bus, said Snr Asst Comm Moyo, fell on its left side while the Mercedes Benz Sprinter veered off the road to the left.

Snr Asst Comm Moyo said the 36 injured passengers were taken to Kwekwe District Hospital and Gweru Provincial Hospital where the bodies of the victims were also taken, awaiting postmortem.

“We’re calling upon relatives of the people who were travelling in a Pfochez bus to come and identify their relatives. We’re yet to establish how many people were aboard the Pfochez bus as well as the Mercedes Benz Sprinter,” she said.

Snr Asst Comm Moyo said the names of the victims would be released once their next of kin are informed.

Midlands Minister of State, Jason Machaya, said the province was deeply saddened by the tragic incident and said the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) would assist relatives to ferry the bodies to their respective homes.

“We’re grieving with the families of the deceased. The sight itself was horrific and it’s very unfortunate that we’ve lost so many lives,” he said.

Minister Machaya who visited the crash site, said the government, as is the norm in accidents of this magnitude, would assist the affected families.

He urged drivers to be extra cautious on the roads.

“Life is precious, hence the need by all road users to take extra precaution,” he said.

He said the police, army and members from the Gweru fire brigade attended the scene.

At Gweru Provincial Hospital, the Superintendent, Dr Fabian Mashingaidze, said they received seven accident victims.

“We received seven patients. Six were attended to and discharged leaving one admitted,” he said.

In August last year, seven people were killed in a horrific head-on collision which occurred about 20km from Kwekwe along the Kwekwe-Gweru highway. A Honda Fit which was travelling towards Gweru collided head-on with a Mazda B2200 that was transporting security guards.

You Might Also Like

Comments