Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
A 14-member bridal team was injured and rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo after the driver of a kombi they were travelling in lost control of the vehicle which veered off the road throwing some of them outside.
Some of the members of the bridal team were hanging out of the vehicle when the accident occurred.
The incident occurred in Pumula suburb on Saturday as they were heading to a wedding.
A source said a female accident victim was severely injured as she landed on her head.
Bulawayo acting chief fire officer Mr Linos Phiri confirmed the accident.
He, however, said specific details remain sketchy as he was not in office.
“Yes we attended to an accident involving a bridal team which was heading to a wedding before the driver of the kombi they were travelling in lost control of the vehicle and it veered off the road.
“This led to the bridal team — 14 of them — sustaining minor injuries.
“They were all rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital for treatment. No one died in the accident. These were just young people but I do not have their ages,” said Mr Phiri.
It has become common for bridal teams to hang out from speeding vehicles, a behaviour that puts their lives in danger in case of mishaps.
Mr Phiri said the public should not engage in such risky behaviour.
“We do not encourage them to do things that are outside the law. At the end of the day this is what happened.
“These were all members of a bridal team. We want to encourage the public to observe the rules of the road. They shouldn’t be hanging outside a moving vehicle’s windows. We have warned the public against that behaviour before but it seems no one is heeding our calls. As a result of this, they were injured,” he said.
Mr Phiri could not shed light on whether the wedding took place or was cancelled.
“I’m not sure where exactly the wedding was taking place.
“Our main aim was just to rush the injured to the hospital as quickly as possible. And that is what we did,” he said.
The Chronicle could not locate the bridal team members for comment. – @nqotshili
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