Bongani Ndlovu, [email protected]
SIXTEEN people were injured, one of them seriously, when a commuter omnibus and a truck collided along Khami Road near Zuva Pumula East in Bulawayo yesterday afternoon.
The truck overturned and several of its occupants were trapped underneath.
The crash triggered a frantic rescue effort as members of the public, emergency services and fire crews worked together to free those trapped in the wreckage.
When a Zimpapers news crew arrived at the scene, a large crowd had gathered around the wreckage, with members of the public already assisting the injured.
The commuter omnibus lay in a trench just outside Zuva Pumula East, with its driver’s side badly damaged. Its mangled door and pieces of metal and plastic were scattered across the road.
Several passengers, including children, were seen sitting outside the vehicle, nursing various injuries.
Across the road, the truck, popularly known as “Wrong Turn”, had overturned and was lying on its roof, with some of its occupants trapped underneath.
Members of the public used wheel jacks and manpower to lift the wreckage and managed to pull three people from underneath the truck. A fourth person, who was trapped inside, was later freed.
Firefighters and ambulance crews attended to the injured before transporting them to hospital for treatment.
Police officers also attended the scene, with some taking statements from witnesses while others controlled traffic.
Some eyewitnesses alleged that the truck had encroached into the lane of the commuter omnibus, which was travelling towards the city centre, resulting in the collision.
The commuter omnibus driver, whom people at the scene identified as “Dread”, was seen moving around the accident scene despite calls from some members of the public for him to sit down.
His shirt was bloodied and he appeared to have sustained injuries in the crash.
Bulawayo Chief Officer Mr Mhlangano Moyo said preliminary information indicated that the accident occurred when the truck was turning into Pumula Road while the commuter omnibus was travelling towards the city.
“The information we gathered is that the commuter omnibus was heading to the city and the truck was from the garage turning left into Pumula Road,” he said.
Mr Moyo said 12 people travelling in the commuter omnibus were injured, while four people in the truck were also injured.
The collision resulted in the truck overturning, trapping some of its occupants and requiring emergency teams to carry out an extraction operation.
Mr Moyo said emergency response teams managed to bring the situation under control and there were no fatalities.
“No fatalities, everything is under control. We have a quick response,” he said.
Mr Moyo added that the person who had been trapped in the truck was safe.
“The gentleman who was in the truck is safe. So far, all is well,” he said.
The injured were taken to hospital for treatment. Police were investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.
