Rains leave trail of destruction

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
HEAVY rains accompanied by strong winds left a trail of destruction in Victoria Falls on Monday uprooting trees, destroying bill-boards and precast walls.

Some motorists’ cars were damaged by falling trees.

Chinotimba and Mkhosana suburbs were plunged into darkness when trees fell on Zesa power lines.

Power had not been restored by yesterday.

A pensioner, Oliver Zarura, said he survived death by a whisker when a huge tree fell onto his car while he was inside at the entrance of Zambezi Traders premises where he was parked.

“I had just parked in front of Zambezi Traders when it started raining and I thought I could sit in the car. Suddenly there was a storm and I heard a loud bang as a tree at the gate of the premises fell on the car. Lucky enough it missed the front and I could have died on the spot,” said Zarura, a retired United Tour Company employee.

An unidentified man also had his car destroyed by a tree that fell on it when he had parked on the streets of Chinotimba suburb.

A Chinotimba family had the roof of their house destroyed when a tree fell on it while some property was also destroyed at two tour operating companies, Wild Horizons and Adventure Zone.

The family was not around when a Chronicle news crew visited the Chinotimba house.

Neighbours said the roof was destroyed when a tree fell on it.

“They were inside when a tree fell on the roof. It destroyed roofing sheets for the kitchen and spare bedroom,” said a neighbour.

Parts of the roofs at both Wild Horizons and Adventure Zone were blown off.

At Zimpost, a huge tree fell onto the parking area blocking cars and a lane used by the local Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) when testing learner drivers.

Many trees fell around the resort town and some of the fallen trees blocked roads and entrances to premises.

Also destroyed were sign posts and bill boards along the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo main road.

The rains lasted for about an hour.

Residents who spoke to Chronicle appealed to the municipality and the Environmental Management Agency to cut down big trees along the roods and streets as they pose a danger to property and human life.

Fortunately there were no reports of individuals killed or injured according to the Police Officer Commanding Victoria Falls District, Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiwona.