Four die after Unki Mine bus falls off bridge (Pictures)

Four Unki Mine workers were killed while 30 others were seriously injured when a company bus they were travelling in plunged into a river Sunday. The workers were involved in an accident at Mutedekwe Bridge around 5am when they were being bussed back home after a night shift.

The company bus — which was travelling along Unkie Mine Road off the Gweru-Zvizhavane main road — hit the bridge rails and plunged into the river. According to a Nehanda Citizen Reporter on the scene, who also took these pictures, dozens of passengers were also critically injured and ambulances from as far as Gweru were going up and down ferrying the injured to hospital.

“It (the bus) was carrying around 72 passengers. But few nurses to attend to patients why?? Are there any nurses who stay at the hospital who might attend to emergency cases??? Other patients had to be taken away by relatives to other hospitals as few nurses could not manage,” our citizen reporter said.

Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident, saying the total number of passengers was yet to be established and that the injured were taken to five different hospitals in Midlands Province.

“Thirty passengers were seriously injured. Some of them are admitted at Gweru Provincial Hospital, Shurugwi Hospital, Claybank Hospital in Gweru, Midlands Private Hospital and Zimasco Hospital in Shurugwi,” said Chief Superintendent Nyathi.

The bus had 72 passengers and 68 were injured.

“Three of them were seriously injured and were airlifted to Harare.

Police have urged drivers to exercise caution while travelling on the road to avoid accidents.