Another fatal road traffic accident claims three l...

Another fatal road traffic accident claims three lives in Hwedza

8 killed in head-on collision between ZUPCO bus and fuel tanker

Zim Now Writer

Three people died on Monday while 27 others were injured when a commuter omnibus side-swiped with a Mandaza bus in Wedza before landing on its left side at the 29-km peg along Wedza-Mutiweshiri Road.

Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police recorded another fatal road traffic accident which occurred on 17th April 2023 at the 29-kilometre peg along Wedza- Mutiweshiri Road in which three people died on the spot whilst 27 others were injured when a commuter omnibus side swiped with a Mandaza bus, resulting in the bus veering off the road before landing on its left side.

“The bodies of the victims were taken to Mount St Mary’s Hospital, Wedza, for post-mortem while the injured were admitted at the same hospital.

The three victims identified by their next of kin are Agnes Nyadongo,53, a female adult of Gombe Village, Mutare, Caroline Banda,34, of Dora, Dangamvura, Mutare and Nenyasha Darara, a female infant aged four of Dora Dangamvura, Mutare.

Assistant Commissioner Nyathi has pleaded with public service vehicle drivers to be cautious on the roads and comply with all road rules and regulations to safeguard lives.

One of the first eyewitnesses to arrive at the scene, Diva Mandeya, said authorities are unprepared to respond to disasters such as major accidents.

“At 9 am we got an alarm that a fatal accident had happened 2.5km from Goto Business Center paGanyau. I quickly changed my itinerary and rushed with two employees to see what help we could render.

“A few motorists were already ferrying the injured to our poorly equipped clinic at Goto, 3km away. There were people trapped under the bus lying on its side and a child could be heard crying helplessly.

“Traffic control on the highway became orderly but there was no command on how to proceed with the rescue mission.

“There was total confusion. More officers and an ambulance arrived in good time including nursing staff from Mt St Mary’s Mission Hospital 27 km away.

“Commendably, the injured were ferried to the local clinic in the ambulance and several private vehicles.

“The real problem was what to do with the trapped.

“There were no qualified rescue personnel until a Marondera fire brigade rescue team arrived 4 hrs later from 100km away. We mobilised a tractor from a local businessman but it could not pull the bus to save the trapped.

“Later a JCB from Wedza GP arrived and combined the tractor to lift the bus off the trapped people but failed.

“We managed to retrieve the first body five hours later.

“Working with the ill-equipped Marondera men we retrieved the other two bodies around 4 pm amid wailing and heart-rending mourning from relatives who had arrived from Mutare, almost 200km away,” he said.