WATCH: “I saw scattered bodies” – Witness recounts horror of Bulawayo–Esigodini Quantum explosion

An eyewitness has described in harrowing detail how bodies were scattered along the Bulawayo–Esigodini Road following a deadly explosion involving a Toyota Quantum, with initial accounts suggesting that several lives were lost in the inferno on Thursday afternoon.

Mr Andrew Ncube, who says he arrived at the scene, just after Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage, shortly after the blast, told Zimpapers that the aftermath was devastating, with victims lying across the roadway and its edges.

He said: “I first saw the Quantum near Eveline High School when I was looking for buses going to Zvishavane. The car left ahead of us, and we were delayed by the roadblock. We were alarmed by a convoy that passed us.”

Mr Ncube said by the time he reached the scene, the vehicle was already engulfed in flames, with members of the public attempting to contain the fire before emergency services arrived.

“People were trying to extinguish the fire,” he said.

“When I arrived at the scene of the accident, there were bodies thrown all over the place. Some of the bodies lay on the sides of the road whilst two of the bodies were on the road,” he said.

He said two victims—a man and a woman—were still alive when he got to the scene, with the woman pleading for water as help was being sought.

“A man and a woman were breathing and speaking when I arrived. The lady was asking for water and she was told that she’s going to get assistance. However, help did not reach her on time until she passed on,” Mr Ncube said.

He said the woman died moments before an ambulance arrived, which was approximately five minutes after she had passed on.

Mr Ncube said as he moved around the scene, he counted about 15 bodies that were visible, although he noted that officials indicated the death toll stood at plus or minus 18.

He also described the arrival of multiple emergency responders, including fire brigade units from Bulawayo and Esigodini, as well as nurses who rushed to assist the injured.

A man at the scene, Mr Ncube said, called for an ambulance as chaos unfolded.

The cause of the explosion and the exact number of casualties remain unconfirmed, with authorities yet to issue a comprehensive statement as investigations continue.