43 passengers escape bus fire

Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau

All 43 people on the cross-border bus taking them from South Africa to Mutare escaped death on Friday when the bus caught fire at around 4am near the Tshapfutshe area some 30km north of Beitbridge along Masvingo road.

One passenger, from the back seat, broke a leg after she landed badly on the tarmac while escaping from the raging fire during a stampede.

She is now in Beitbridge district hospital for medical attention.

Property worth R500 000 including the Graca bus (MAN model) was destroyed with the bus being reduced to a shell.

The police officer commanding Beitbridge, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said although further investigations were underway it was suspected the fire had been a result of an electrical fault on the bus.

“The bus was travelling from Johannesburg towing a trailer along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road with 43 passengers on board heading to Mutare,” he said.

“Upon reaching the 255 kilometre peg, 30km north of Beitbridge, the driver noticed some smoke emanating from the back seat of the bus. He stopped the bus to investigate and the fire intensified.”

Passengers escaped from the bus through the windows and door but when 43-year-old who was occupying the back seat, jumped through the window she landed awkwardly on a hard surface and broke her left leg.

Other passengers, he said, managed to retrieve their property before the entire bus was engulfed in a flame.

“The fire destroyed various properties, including some clothes, groceries and furniture valued at approximately R500 000. Only the goods that were loaded in the trailer were spared from the inferno,” said Chief Supt Nyongo.

“The matter was then reported to the traffic unit which attended the scene. The injured woman was taken to Beitbridge District Hospital where is currently admitted and is reported to be in a stable condition.”

The last major fire accident was in 2019 when 34 escaped from a Greyhound cross-border double-decker bus caught fire at the 35km peg along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Road.