BEITBRIDGE – Twenty four people were killed and over 30 others are admitted in hospital in Beitbridge following a collision between a speeding Urban Connect bus and a haulage truck near a tollgate just after 7AM on Thursday.
According to reports the bus, on its way to Beitbridge, was overtaking another vehicle on approach to the Lutumba tollgate on the Beitbridge-Masvingo highway when it careered into a haulage truck which had just pulled out of the tollgate.
Both vehicles suffered extensive damage and according district medical officer Dr Lenos Samhere, 17 people were pronounced dead at the scene, while seven died while being transported to Beitbridge District Hospital 21km away.
Over 30 people were being treated at local health facilities, with 12 of them in critical condition, Samhere added.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa meanwhile released a statement following the accident saying it had left him “horrified and heart-broken.”
“The death of 24 Zimbabweans in a head-on collision between an Urban Connect bus and a commercial haulage truck, along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Highway this morning, left me horrified and heart-broken.
“Fellow Zimbabweans, our nation does not deserve this at all, let alone experiencing such a bloody incident at the beginning of the year. We have to do all what is possible to curb this unjustified loss of life.
“I therefore appeal to all motorists to exercise extreme caution on our roads, for the sake of both fellow road users and themselves.
“All arms of the Government that are responsible for ensuring safety on our roads are thus constantly reminded to work around the clock and evoke all legal means and powers available to them, to reduce and subsequently put an end to such carnage.”
Discover more from Nehanda Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
