adminThupeyo Muleya/ Patient Sibanda
TWO people died and six others were injured in two separate accidents that occurred in Beitbridge and Bulawayo. In the first accident, one person died while four others were injured when a South Africa-bound bus they were travelling in side-swiped a truck at the 238 km peg along the Masvingo –Beitbridge road early on Friday morning.
It is understood that the Mfazi Bus was travelling towards Beitbridge while the South African registered Scania truck was travelling in the opposite direction. The bus had 55 passengers on board, including the victims.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nkosilathi Sibanda said the incident occurred at around 2.45AM near Matshiloni area. The injured were taken to Beitbridge district hospital while the body of a woman who died was taken to the institution’s mortuary.
The police spokesperson said three people were treated and discharged while the other one is still hospitalised and is in a serious condition. “Indications are that the bus was speeding and it encroached onto the lane of oncoming traffic upon reaching the 238km peg along the Masvingo Beitbridge road. As a result it side-swiped with a Scania truck which was travelling in the opposite direction. One person was killed on the spot while four others were injured,” he said.
Asst Inspector Sibanda said the woman’s next of kin were yet to be notified of her death.
“We want to urge drivers to be cautious and observe speed limits on the roads all the time so as to avoid the unnecessary loss of life,” he added.
In another incident, a 20-year-old dancer from Iminyela suburb in Bulawayo died and two others were injured on Sunday night at around 9PM while they were on their way to a show in the city.
Silethukuthula Dube of Ziwa Queens dance group died at Mpilo Central Hospital while two others, another dancer and a person they were travelling with, were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in burst a tyre and the driver lost control, resulting in a head on collision with a kombi coming from the city centre.
Jaiva company boss, Jaiva Bukhosi Moyo, who runs Ziwa Queens dance group, said the dancers were on their way to a show in the central business district.
“The two women under my dance group company were off to a show when this happened. The other one whom they were going with was Dube’s sister. On the day we were having a show in the central business district,” said Moyo.
The Bulawayo Senior Divisional fire officer, Edward Mpofu, said: “The accident happened along Khami road. The car collided with a kombi which was carrying 15 people. Three were critically injured and taken to hospital. Three ambulances were called. A female died at Mpilo Central Hospital,” said Mpofu.
Online Reporter