admin
Thupeyo Muleya
Beitbridge Bureau
SEVEN Zimbabweans died on the spot while nine others were seriously injured when a Musina-bound commuter omnibus they were travelling in collided with a haulage truck in South Africa yesterday morning.The accident occurred about two kilometres from Beitbridge border post along the N1 Highway.
A horrific scene of carnage with bodies strewn across the road greeted travellers on the route.
Witnesses said the two vehicles collided at around 5am near the weighbridge.
They said the driver of the border post bound haulage truck made a right turn in front of the speeding kombi which was travelling towards Musina with 15 passengers resulting in a collision.
“Seven people died instantly and nine others were seriously injured as a result of the collision. It was horrific. Bodies were strewn all over the place before emergency workers and the police took them to Musina Government Hospital” said Phefumula Sibanda who arrived at the scene soon after the accident.
Limpopo Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Ronel Otto said they had since opened a charge of culpable homicide against the truck driver.
She said the seven bodies were taken to Musina Government Hospital mortuary.
“The circumstances leading to the accident are being investigated and a case of culpable homicide was opened.
“Seven people died on the scene and the nine who were injured, including the driver of the kombi, were taken to a hospital in Musina for treatment. The driver of the truck wasn’t injured” she said.
Lt Col Otto said the 15 passengers in the kombi were all from Zimbabwe adding that names of the dead would be released once their next of kin have been informed.
She said eight of the injured were admitted at Musina Government Hospital while one who is in critical condition was trasferred to Polokwane Provincial Hospital.
Lt Col Otto called on motorists to abide by road traffic regulations to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.
The N1 highway is one of the busiest roads in South Africa as it links that country to the rest of Africa and it is a route which handles huge volumes of commercial cargo. The road has become a death trap for Zimbabweans and citizens of countries north of the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers.
Last year, at least 10 Zimbabweans were killed in road accidents between Musina and Polokwane in Limpopo province. In July 2011, 14 Zimbabweans perished, while nine others were seriously injured when a bus they were travelling in was involved in a horrific crash along the same road near Witvlag turnoff between Louis Trichardt and Musina towns.
The driver of a Johannesburg-bound Trans Africa Lux bus lost control of the vehicle. Twenty four Zimbabweans perished in a pile-up accident between Louis Trichardt and Polokwane towns on the N1 highway the same year.
In 2005, 19 Zimbabweans died when a kombi they were travelling in plunged into a dry riverbed 15km from Louis Trichardt.
Online Reporter