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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau 

THIRTY-FOUR people cheated death yesterday morning when a Greyhound cross-border (double decker) bus they were travelling in caught fire at the 35km peg along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Road.

The incident occurred in Mtetengwe area at around 7AM when the bus was travelling from South Africa to Bulawayo with 34 passengers on board.

The Officer Commanding Beitbridge District, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, said the matter was still under investigation.

“According to the preliminary information we have, the bus was travelling towards Bulawayo from South Africa with 34 passengers,” he said.

“When it got to the 298km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road (35km out of Beitbridge town), the driver realised that the dashboard lights had suddenly gone off.

“He then checked on his rear view mirror and noted some flames coming from the back where the engine is located, prompting him to stop the bus. He immediately opened all the doors for the passengers to disembark. Fortunately no one was harmed, but the bus and the trailer carrying an assortment of goods were reduced to shells”.

Sources who attended the scene said the value of the goods, the bus and trailer were yet to be ascertained.

However, on average, a used double decker bus costs between R900 000 and R1, 5 million in South Africa, while a new bus costs between R3 million and R4, 5 million. 

The incident comes a few months after 42 people were burnt to death while 27 others sustained injuries after a Musina-bound bus they were travelling in caught fire near West Nicholson in November last year.

The Brooklyn Bus accident, which occurred at the 181 km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road, is suspected to have been caused by a gas cylinder that exploded.

The bus, which was carrying mostly cross border traders, was travelling from Zvishavane to Musina in South Africa.