Train, haulage truck collide

By Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu

One person sustained injuries after a train collided with a haulage truck at a railway crossing along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road.

National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the incident which occurred on Sunday at around 5PM at the 280 kilometre peg along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road near Lutumba area.

She said the driver of the haulage truck, Mr Kisten Chirenje (40), failed to give way to the train resulting in the collision.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said a train crew member sustained injuries and was taken to Beitbridge District Hospital where he is in a stable condition.

“I can confirm that we recorded an incident where a haulage truck that was travelling from Masvingo towards the Beitbridge Border collided with a goods train that was travelling from Bulawayo to South Africa on Sunday around 5PM.

“The driver of the truck who works for a South African Company, Kings Transport, failed to give way to the train at a railway crossing.

“As a result the truck hit one of the trolleys on the train causing some of them to overturn. The driver of the truck escaped unhurt but one of the train crew members sustained injuries,” she said.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba urged motorists to give way when approaching railway crossings. She said it was alarming that drivers were now negligent to the extent of driving through railway crossings without stopping.

Sources close to the investigations said motorists were forced to use an alternative rail crossing about two kilometres away from the scene along the Bulawayo- Beitbridge Road as the road was blocked.

Others were connecting via the road leading to Mapayi area on the eastern side of the town. The Chronicle