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who perished when a Chawasarira bus they were travelling in burst a front tyre while overtaking and sideswiped a haulage truck along the Harare-Bulawayo Road on Thursday morning.
Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka yesterday said they were still in the process of verifying identification particulars of the remaining 11 victims.
Chief Sup Mandipaka said most people died due to multiple body and head injuries.
He said those injured were taken to Parirenyatwa, Norton, Chegutu and Harare hospitals, making it difficult for the police to ascertain the actual number of those injured.
“We have been successful in identifying nine people and the majority of the victims are females. Among them are two female juveniles.
“On the number of those injured, I can confirm that Parirenyatwa Hospital now has 23 people while the others are admitted at other hospitals,” he said.
Police identified the deceased as the driver Ruvando Nicholas (40) of Tynwald North in Harare, Constable Michael Joseni of ZRP Chinamhora, Lydia Muvhava, Earnest Kuchekanya, Memory Vhiriri, Paradzai Keche, Theresa Timire of Zhombe, Loice Gwinha of Chegutu and Dennison Davison (32).
EARLIER REPORT
Chief Sup Mandipaka said: “As we are continuing with the identification process, our traffic department is still investigating the accident and have taken the burst tyre for forensic examination.”
The 20 people were killed when the Chivi-bound bus burst its right front tyre and sideswiped the truck, which was going in the opposite direction, killing 18 people on the spot.
A Lofombo bus which was being overtaken swerved off the road and landed on its side, killing one person, who became the nineteenth person to die on the spot. One more passenger died on admission to Parirenyatwa Hospital.
The truck ripped the right side of the bus where most of the dead, including the driver were.
The Lofombo bus was on its way to Gokwe.
Vice President John Nkomo yesterday sent a message of condolence to the bereaved families.
VP Nkomo said despite Government putting stringent regulations governing the operations of public transport vehicles, the country continued to lose lives “unnecessarily” due to negligence.
“We continue to experience fatal accidents in the seemingly unending carnage on our roads due to negligence and the use of unroadworthy vehicles.
“I want to remind all the guilty parties that the law will descend on them heavily as we have a duty to protect the travelling public,” he said.
A total of 67 people have been killed in road accidents this month alone.
Earlier this month, 14 people died when an overloaded omnibus burst its left rear tyre and overturned in Nyazura. Four days later, four more people perished when a commuter omnibus burst a tyre and veered off the road.
Fifteen other people were killed in two separate road accidents in Chivhu and Kadoma.
Online Reporter