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Mashudu Netsianda, Online Reporter

FORTY people cheated death when a bus belonging to Dubies Bus Service veered off the road and overturned as the driver was trying to avoid two vehicles, a Zupco kombi and Bulawayo City Council (BCC) truck, which had been involved in an accident.

The incident occurred shortly after 9am along Airport Road near Kingsdale Shopping Centre in Bulawayo.

The bus, an AVM, was coming from Nkayi and heading to Bulawayo with 36 passengers and four crew members onboard when the driver went off the road while trying to avoid oncoming traffic. Eight people sustained minor injuries and they were rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital.

When Chronicle news crew arrived at the scene, some victims, the driver including the rescue team from the Bulawayo Fire and Ambulance Services department were till at the site.

Goods belonging to passengers were strewn all over the place.

The injured had already been taken to hospital. One of the rescue team members said eight people were rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital after sustaining minor injuries.

“We were called and when we arrived at the scene  we found some people were injured and eight of them were taken to Mpilo Central Hospital,” said a rescue team member.

The driver, Mr Pollen Dube said when the accident occurred, he was trying to avoid two cars, a Zupco kombi and BCC truck, which had blocked the road following an accident.

“I was coming from Matema in Nkayi with 36 passengers and four bus crew members. When I approached the curve there was a big tree hanging by the roadside and it obstructed me,” he said.

“I only realised that there were two cars, which were involved in an accident that is a BCC truck and a Zupco kombi. I tried to apply brakes but I was already too close.”

Mr Dube said he encroached onto the lane and branched off the road to avoid a head on result in the bus overturning after landing on a ditch.

“I was forced to encroach onto the lane of oncoming traffic to avoid the two cars which had an accident. Again, there was another car on that land, which forced me to branch off the road and, in the process, I ran into a ditch and the bus rolled and overturned, landing on its side,” he said.

One of the passengers, Ms Sicelo Nkiwane who escaped unscathed, said: “The bus was coming from Matema in Nkayi and when we arrived a Kingsdale Shopping Centre, a BCC truck and two Honda Fit pirate taxis had blocked the road and our driver then changed lanes to avoid them and the next thing I was saw the bus overturning.”

Another passenger, Ms Siphiwe Mangena, when they approached a sharp curve there were two cars which had blocked the road.

“Our driver tried to avoid the vehicles, which had blocked the road and went to the other lane before the bus went off the road and overturned. We were all lucky to be alive and those who were injured were taken to hospital in ambulances,” she said.

Dubies Bus Service operations officer, Mr Godfrey Siziba urged BCC to attend to the overgrown grass and overhanging on the roadside, saying they obstructed traffic resulting in accidents.

“This is a sad development. We have a challenge when it comes to this carve because there are overhanging right at the curve which obstruct drivers,” he said.

“BCC should either cut those trees or prune them because they cause accidents. Our driver failed to find a proper place to stop and landed on a ditch resulting in the bus rolling and subsequently overturning.”

@mashnets