Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube and Flora Sibanda, Chronicle Reporters
FOUR people including a driver and three passengers died on the spot, while 13 other passengers were seriously injured when a Toyota Quantum they were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a truck near Insuza in Matabeleland North on Monday.
Eight people escaped unhurt.
Police confirmed the accident that happened at the 113km peg along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Highway.
Matabeleland North police spokesperson Inspector, Glory Banda, said the accident occurred when the driver of the truck encroached onto the lane on an oncoming vehicle while trying to avoid a pothole.
The deceased are Milton Ncube of Emakhandeni in Bulawayo, Micah Nyoni from Lupane and two other men whom the police are yet to identify. The truck was being driven by Mr Admire Dubugwani of Chegutu.
Ncube was driving a Toyota Quantum with 19 passengers on board from Bulawayo towards Lupane while Mr Dubugwani was driving a Hino truck belonging to Dinson Iron and Steel Company in Chegutu, travelling towards Bulawayo with four passengers on board.
“On the 26th of February around 3pm a fatal road traffic accident occurred at the 113km peg along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road, where four people died on the spot and 13 others were injured and eight escaped unhurt,” said Insp Banda.
“Upon reaching the 113km peg, the driver of the truck encroached onto the lane of the Quantum while trying to avoid hitting a pothole resulting in a head-on collision. As a result of the accident, the driver of the Quantum and three passengers died on the spot while the other 13 passengers were injured.”
Three passengers from the Quantum, the driver of the truck and his passengers escaped unhurt. Witnesses say the deceased crushed their head and chest as a result of the impact.
Traffic police from Lupane attended the scene and the injured were rushed to St Luke’s Hospital, while bodies of the deceased were carried to the institution’s mortuary.
Meanwhile, after hearing about the accident some of the villagers from the surrounding Gwamba village teamed up to raise resources towards assisting the burial of the victims and buying medication for the injured.
Mr Philani Ndlovu, who chairs the community initiative, said they were saddened by the tragic incident and appealed to other well-wishers to chip in.
“When such an unfortunate thing happens at one’s homestead, they are left wondering where they will get food to accommodate mourners at their home,” he said. “This is why we are asking even for things like meal-mealie, sugar and other food stuff so we can assist those in grief. The money we collect will be used to buy medication for those in hospital while the remaining will be shared among the homesteads that have lost their loved ones.”
He urged the Government to speed up the repair of the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road as it is littered with potholes and poses a danger to the motoring public and travellers.
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