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Police confirmed the accident, which occurred yesterday at about 5.30am near Connemara Open Prison Complex along the Gweru-Kwekwe Road involving a Zimbabwe United Passengers Company (Zupco) and the truck.
Police said the truck was coming from Harare and developed a fault while heading towards Gweru while the bus was heading towards Gweru en route to Chipinge.
The lorry had about three tonnes of iron bars, which were scattered all over the scene following the accident.
When a Chronicle news screw arrived at the scene, police were busy retrieving some of the bodies from the wreckage of the bus.
The Zupco bus had its entire left side ripped-off following the horrific accident.
Acting police officer commanding Midlands province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Learn Ncube, attended the scene in the company of the Midlands and Masvingo Traffic Co-ordinator, Superintendent Leslie Maninge.
The Gweru Provincial Administrator, Ms Cecilia Chitiyo, arrived later at the scene to assess the extent of the damage.
Witnesses said some of the passengers died after they were pierced by the iron bars which were in the lorry.
They said the police removed the iron bars from the victims’ bodies.
In an interview at the accident scene, the bus driver, Mr Patrick Nyemba (62), said he could not see the stationary truck because of mist.
He said when he finally noticed the stationary truck, he tried to swerve to the right and in the process hit its back with the left side of the bus.
“Owing to the impact of the lorry’s load, iron bars pierced through the bus injuring the passengers in the process,” said Mr Nyemba.
He said the accident was terrible as some of the bars pierced passengers’ abdomen.
“It was a sad scenario as some of the victims were injured by the iron bars which were in the lorry. It was the first time I had seen such a terrible accident in my career as a driver at Zupco,” said Mr Nyemba, as he tried to contain his tears.
Mr Nyemba escaped unhurt and there were also some few other passengers who survived the accident without scratch.
The bus driver said ambulances from Gweru arrived about 20 minutes later.
“Some ambulances from Kwekwe later arrived at the scene and ferried some of the injured to Kwekwe District Hospital,” said Mr Nyemba.
Supt Maninge said some of the injured were ferried to Kwekwe District Hospital while others were rushed to Gweru Provincial Hospital.
“We are still to verify the numbers of people admitted at hospital because others were taken to Kwekwe District Hospital while others were ferried to Gweru Provincial Hospital,” he said.
Supt Maninge said preliminary investigations indicate that the driver of the bus was speeding.
“We have our accident evaluator at the scene of the accident and we are still waiting for his findings. We cannot, however, rule out speeding on the part of the bus driver because there were some triangle reflectors indicating that there was a stationary vehicle in front,” he said.
Meanwhile, political leaders and business community in Insiza District yesterday assisted families of the 13 people who died in the Fort Rixon accident, which occurred on Monday evening.
It emerged yesterday that the majority of those who died in the accident were workers from different mines in Fort Rixon and informal traders who were going to sell their goods while three of the dead were members of the same family in Claremont.
They were joined by Zanu-PF provincial leaders for Bulawayo who gave the five survivors food and cash amounting to $40.
Member of Parliament for Insiza North, Cde Andrew Langa, visited the four survivors who are admitted to United Bulawayo Hospitals’ intensive care unit where he also handed the coffins to four of the families that left with the bodies yesterday to different destinations.
Cde Langa, who was accompanied by Mrs Matilda Muhaso, the managing director of Apatron Mine in Fort Rixon which chipped in with money for the coffins, Insiza Senator Cde Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, acting Bulawayo Province Zanu-PF chairman Cde Killian Sibanda and members of the youth wing literally spent the whole day at the hospital as they visited the survivors throughout the day.
“The Insiza community has sourced 13 coffins for the 13 bodies courtesy of Fort Rixon mining giant, Apatron, and groceries, fuel and food to assist on their burial. As the MP I would want to commend Apatron for coming on board to assist the families of the victims, this is the time when our people need us most and we should be seen to be assisting them,” said Cde Langa.
“Some have taken their coffins while others would do so through the DA’s office and as leaders, tomorrow we will attend the burial of some of the victims. We hope the Government will respond favourably to this plight and I would want to urge those who lost their relatives to liaise with the DA’s office. We know our roads are bad but drivers should try to be careful.”
Mrs Muhaso, who is former DA for Khami District in Bulawayo and now a farmer and miner in Matabeleland South, said the business community was saddened by the death of the 13, which came as a blow to strides to empower small-scale miners.
Cde Ndlovu said it was their duty as leaders to mourn with families of the dead.
“We mourn together with relatives on behalf of both the Government and Zanu-PF because these are the same people who voted us into power,” said Cde Ndlovu.
“Police have always warned drivers but we notice accidents are increasing which is worrying, drivers should realise that life is important.”
Cde Sibanda said as a province they were touched by the death of the 13 and felt they should combine efforts with Matabeleland South. “We share the sympathy with our sister province which is why we contacted them and joined hands. We are saddened by this and hope some things would be done to reduce accidents on our roads,” he said.
The four survivors are Ms Loveness Ncube (35), Ms Martha Ngwenya (30) whose addresses could not be readily established, Mr Wellington Maphosa and Never Msipha (22) of Claremont.
Ms Ncube’s face was swollen while Ms Ngwenya was bandaged all over the face.
Staff at the hospital said the four were still in pain and Mr Msipha, the only one who could speak coherently, said the driver of the kombi was new in the area and passengers were constantly advising him to slow down as he was speeding.
“We left Bulawayo at 6pm and we were always telling him to slow down as he was racing with a car driven by Mr Sibasa, a miner in Fort Rixon. I think he did not know there was a bridge because he was new,” he said.
Those who have been identified are Likhwa Ndlovu (21) of York Farm in Fort Rixon, Ronald Mhlanga (29), of Pioneer Village Two, Thandiwe Mutete (29), of 30553 Entumbane, Polite Nyoni of Zvishavane and Nkululeko Sibanda and Ellen Chazerengwa, all of Woodborne, Fort Rixon.
Ndlovu, Mhlanga, Mutete and Nyoni will be buried today.
Ndlovu and Mhlanga will be buried in Fort Rixon, Nyoni in Zvishavane and Mutete in Nyazura.
Online Reporter