Online Reporter
George Maponga-Masvingo Bureau
A NUMBER of people were injured after a Munhenzva bus heading for Cape Town in South Africa overturned and trapped them, about 10km from Rutenga last night.
It was not immediately clear whether there were any fatalities.
The driver of the bus is believed to have applied emergency brakes, resulting in the bus overturning at the 155km peg along the Masvingo-Beitbridge highway around 6pm.
It is not clear how many passengers were on the bus when the accident occurred near Chinyu Primary School, about 10km out of Rutenga.
Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said police are still to establish the number of fatalities in the accident.
“It is true that a Munhenzva bus has been involved in an accident and our officers are at the scene, but rescue efforts are being affected by heavy rains that are falling,” he said.
“Rescue teams are at the scene; we will only be able to establish if there are fatalities and the number of injured once they have lifted the bus that overturned.”
Inspector Dhewa said rescue teams, including police, were frantically looking for the requisite equipment to lift the bus.
Mwenezi Rural District Council Chief Executive Mr Albert Chivanga also confirmed the crash.
“Preliminary reports indicate that the driver of the SA-bound Munhenzva bus applied emergency brakes while trying to stop to avoid hitting an unknown object he had seen; the bus then overturned,” said Mr Chivanga. “The number of people injured and those who might have died is still unknown, as some people are still trapped under the bus.”
He said the injured were taken to Neshuro District Hospital.
