adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
SEVEN people were killed, five of them on the spot, while eight others escaped with injuries when an unregistered Harare-bound commuter omnibus they were travelling in burst its left rear tyre, veered off the road and overturned near Rutenga, Masvingo Province.
Masvingo police spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula said the commuter omnibus had 15 passengers on board.
The dead have been named as Ronica Tavengana, 38, Luka Gumbure, 47, both of Rujeko; Rumbidzai Madondo, 53, of Mushandike; Rosemary Nkala, 37, of Neshuro Business Centre; Walter Muchineripi, 34, of Chiweshe and Oliver Muzozviona, 43, of Mucheke. The body of a man, the seventh victim, is yet to be identified as he had no identification particulars.
Insp Mazula said bodies and the injured were taken to Masvingo Provincial Hospital and Neshuro Hospital in Mwenezi.
The unregistered Toyota Hiace commuter omnibus driven by Herbert Jena, 37, of Budiriro, Harare, burst its left rear tyre along Masvingo-Beitbridge highway, close to Rutenga Business Centre.
“This led to Jena losing control of the vehicle and it veered off the road before hitting a tree. The vehicle overturned once and landed on its roof killing five people on the spot,” said Insp Mazula.
She said one passenger died while being ferried to Rutenga Clinic and the other died upon admission at Neshuro Hospital in Mwenezi.
Insp Mazula warned drivers to exercise extreme caution when travelling on the country’s roads.
Police statistics show that Masvingo province recorded 1,974 accidents and 31 deaths in 2014 compared to 1,802 and 25 deaths in the previous year.
Online Reporter