By Nqobile Tshili
FOUR people died on the spot while five others were injured when a Toyota Quantum they were travelling in from South Africa burst its left rear tyre before ramming into a tree at the 110KM peg along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls highway yesterday.
The accident occurred a few kilometres after Insuza at about 3PM.A police source said four people died on the spot while five others who were injured were rushed to St Lukes Hospital.
Most of the accident victims were travelling to their rural home in Dandanda, Lupane, from South Africa in the Toyota Quantum which was pulling a loaded trailer.
When a Chronicle news crew arrived at the scene of the accident at about 5PM, bodies of the accident victims had not been removed from the scene, with police officers conducting their investigations.
Witnesses said some people were trapped in the vehicle and were rescued by passersby before the arrival of the Fire Brigade from Bulawayo.
The injured were rushed to St Lukes Hospital by an ambulance from the same hospital.
The Bulawayo Fire Brigade arrived at the scene after 5PM.One of the crew who survived the accident, Mr Brian Ncube, narrated how the accident occurred.
“The driver lost control of the vehicle after it burst its left rear tyre before crashing onto a tree. Most of the passengers were coming from South Africa heading to their rural home Dandanda in Lupane,” he said.
Mr Ncube, who was visibly shocked, said he could not remember the number of people who were in their vehicle.
“I can’t remember the number of people who were in the vehicle maybe they were 10,” he said.
Mr Ncube said among the deceased was a hitch hiker whom they had just picked who was on her way to Lupane with her child.
“The only person who was not coming from South Africa was a woman who died on the spot while the child was among those who were rushed to the hospital. The driver and I are lucky to be alive. We were thrown out of the car,” said the shaken Mr Ncube.
Some witnesses said they found the vehicle’s trailer hanging from tree braches with its goods scattered on the ground. The Chronicle
