Chronicle Editor
Victor Maphosa, Mashonaland East Bureau
THIRTEEN people died and several others were seriously injured when a bus belonging to Timboom Coaches crashed at the five kilometre peg along the Chivhu-Murambinda Road yesterday morning.
The bus had 40 passengers on board and was en route to Harare.
In a separate accident, four people died and four others were injured when the driver of a Toyota Quantum they were travelling in lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road and overturned several times before landing on its wheels. The accident occurred at the five-kilometre peg along Murehwa-Madicheche Road on Friday at about 9am.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the fatal accidents in a statement.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police reports a fatal road traffic accident in which a Harare-bound Timboon bus which had 40 passengers crashed at the five-kilometre peg along Chivhu-Murambinda Road on April 16, 2023 around 6.30am. Thirteen people, including the driver, died,” he said.
Circumstances surrounding the horror crash are still not clear but there was no other vehicle involved in the accident.
The injured were taken to hospital.
On the Murehwa accident Asst Comm Nyathi said: “The ZRP reports a fatal road traffic accident that occurred at the five-kilometre peg along Murehwa-Madicheche Road on April 14, 2023 at around 9am where a motorist who was driving a Toyota Quantum vehicle with eight occupants, lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road and overturned several times before landing on its wheels.
“As a result, two people died on the spot while two others died on admission to Murehwa hospital. Four others were severely injured.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said police would reveal more details on the Chivhu accident in due course.
Meanwhile, police have released names of the 10 people who died in an accident which occurred along Harare-Masvingo highway on April 7, 2023.
The victims have been positively identified by their next of kin.
They are Alfred Nyoni (42), Elizabeth Siwela (67), Fadzai Chikono (48), Juliet Mapfumo (63), Tawanda Chazunguza (age not given), Farai Chinyama (65), Godloves Zhou (four months) and Juliet Chauke, all from Gokwe.
The 10th victim was identified as Peter Maputi (49) from Chegutu.
The police appealed to motorists to exercise extreme caution on the country’s roads to safeguard human lives.
Online Reporter