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Leonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
FIVE people died in three separate accidents in Hwange District last week.

Two people died- one on the spot and the other on the way to hospital when a vehicle they were travelling in burst a tyre along the Victoria Falls-Kazungula Road on Friday.

Police confirmed the accident which also left three seriously injured while six people escaped unscathed.

The officer commanding Victoria Falls District, Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiona said the vehicle, a Granvia, was coming from Kazungula Border Post and headed towards Victoria Falls with 11 people on board.

The driver Newton Mhandu, 44, died on the way to hospital while a passenger John Madanha, 41, died on the spot.

“Police attended to an accident scene on the 20 km peg which left two people dead,” said Chief Supt Chiona.

A majority of the passengers were coming from Botswana.

Those who were injured and admitted to Victoria Falls District Hospital were Lidia Kapinyuka, 36 who sustained shoulder and chest injuries, Cheduwa Ntobeko Zimba, 34, and Sanelisiwe Weza, 35, who both sustained bruises.

Chief Supt Chiona said Florence Moyo, 40, Singatsho Maphosa, 31, Shadreck Bruce Chikara, 16, Frank Sibanda, 29, Gift Nkomo, 23, Mfanekiso Sibanda, 52, and Sam Moyo, 24, escaped without visible injuries.

Maphosa was only treated for shock.

“On approaching the 20km peg, the vehicle, which is suspected to have been speeding, burst a tyre. The driver applied brakes and lost control of the vehicle which then veered off the road to the right and overturned,” said Chief Supt Chiona.

He said the vehicle landed on its roof after rolling several times.

The police urged drivers to be careful on the roads.

“Investigations are ongoing but we want to urge motorists to exercise caution to save lives as our roads are also infested with animals,” said Chief Supt Chiona.

Meanwhile, on Monday last week, two people died on the spot when a vehicle they were travelling in hit a tree near the Hwange Toll Gate.

The deceased are Jabulani Ngwenya, a councillor at Hwange Rural District Council and a nurse at Lukosi Clinic only identified as Mukwasi.

The nurse had just bought the car, a Nissan Saloon and had asked Ngwenya to drive him from Dinde area to the Vehicle Inspection Department in Hwange where he was doing driving lessons, when the accident occurred.

In another accident, a minor died on Saturday last week when a Kukura Kurerwa Bus heading towards Binga from Bulawayo veered off the road and hit a tree between Lupane and Cross Jotsholo.

Witnesses said the bus hit a pot hole on the road and the driver lost control.