3 killed, 17 injured in kombi crash
MUTARE – Three people died on the spot while 17 others were injured when a commuter omnibus they were travelling in burst its tyre and overturned on Monday along the Mutare-Juliasdale Road.
The commuter omnibus, which had 20 occupants on board including the driver and the conductor, was heading towards Nyanga when the accident occurred near the 65-kilometre peg.
Acting National Traffic police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Luxmore Chakanza said the kombi, a Nissan Caravan, burst its right rear tyre and overturned, killing the three on the spot. The injured were taken to Mutare General Hospital for treatment.
The accident occurred on the same day another accident along the Gwanda-Bulawayo Road claimed eight lives and injured nine other people. The accident involved a Toyota Regius which veered off the road and overturned after a suspected tyre burst.
Meanwhile, police have released the names of the nine Mughodhi Apostolic Sect members, including a seven-year-old boy who died on the spot when a lorry they were travelling in sideswiped with another lorry along the Chivhu-Gutu Road last Saturday.
They are Pretty Popi (21), Priscilla Nzembe (15), Loveness Chidziri (35), Kudakwashe Makahamadze (39), Ephraim Bhasera (7), Moreblessing Matombo (23), Edna Maluleka (27), one identified as Matombo (42), all of Chiredzi and Esther Mashanda (37) of Shurugwi.
Asst Insp Chakanza said four other people who were seriously injured during the accident were still admitted to Chivhu Hospital. He said they were still investigating the cause of the accident as they suspected that one of the lorry drivers could have encroached into the lane of the other.
The accident occurred near the 11km peg and it involved a DAF lorry which was carrying planks and heading towards Gutu, while the other one, a Bed Ford lorry, had 56 members of the apostolic church. It is reported that on approaching the 11km peg, the two lorries sideswiped resulting in the death of the nine.
