Bus accident kills seven people

Supt Phiri said the bus was travelling from Gweru to Botswana with 52 passengers on board.
He said 43 passengers and the driver of the bus, Mr Mthokozisi Dlamini, of Pumula East in Bulawayo, sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital and UBH where they are still admitted.
“We are investigating a single vehicle accident which occurred at the 102km peg along the Bulawayo-Gweru Road where a Botswana registered bus overturned at about 10.30pm on 22 March,” said Supt Phiri.
“The bus was towing a trailer with 52 passengers on board and it is alleged the driver tried to overtake two buses that were travelling in the same direction when the accident occurred.”
Supt Phiri said the driver, Mr Dlamini, in the process lost control leading to the bus veering off the road, overturned, rolled several times before landing on its side.
“Six people, two males and four females, sustained serious head and body injuries and died on the spot while another male passenger died on admission to UBH.
“Forty-three passengers and the driver sustained varying degrees of injuries and are admitted to Mpilo and UBH,” he said.
The police spokesperson said the bus was also extensively damaged. There are reports from witnesses that the buses were racing and overtaking each other along the way.
Among the dead is a member of the bus crew.
Supt Phiri said they were still investigating to establish the actual cause of the accident.
“Police investigations are in progress to ascertain the actual cause of the accident. We want to appeal to drivers of public service vehicles to exercise extreme caution.
“We are also appealing to members of the public to assist in identifying two people whose identities could not be established,” he said.
Supt Phiri said the names of the other five are Violet Jeche, age not given but of Number 4 Hard Place, Sunnyside, Bulawayo, Gift Ncube (44) whose address was not given, Gillian Mukwasi (44), of 4157 Coldstream, Chinhoyi, Memory Mwanawamambo (27), Margaret Magejo (52) (both addresses not given).
When a Chronicle news crew visited the scene of the accident yesterday morning, pieces of glass, papers, food, clothes, travelling bags and vehicle parts were strewn all over the place. The wreckage of the bus was still at the scene with its roof ripped off. The seats were blood-stained.
Witnesses said the injured were only taken to the two hospitals yesterday morning.
“What is painful is that some people took away some passengers’ luggage on the pretext they were serving the injured. As you can see the trailer is empty,” said a witness who preferred anonymity.
A member of the bus crew, Mr Qhubani Macebo, said he was still in a state of shock. “I am shocked and I still do not understand what happened,” said Mr Macebo.
UBH chief executive officer Mrs Nonhlanhla Ndlovu last night said one of the 13 people admitted to the hospital was in a critical condition.