Taurainashe Matandu
BATTLEFIELDS: Eight people died on the spot while 31 others were injured after a ZUPCO bus they were traveling in was involved in a head-on collision with a fuel tanker near Battlefields along the Harare Bulawayo Highway this Wednesday.
Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident, saying the injured were taken to Kadoma hospital.
Eyewitnesses say the driver of the fuel tanker which was heading to Kwekwe encroached into an oncoming traffic lane resulting in the head-on collision.
“It’s sad that we continue to lose lives through road accidents that could have been avoided. What is clear is that the driver of the truck might have fallen asleep and lost control of the vehicle leading to this accident.
“We rushed to this scene as soon as the accident occurred but unfortunately, we couldn’t do much in terms of helping as people had already lost their lives. The police eventually came to attend the scene and we only came back later,” an eye witness said.
“We were drinking at the nearby bar when we suddenly heard a bang. At first, we thought a vehicle had a burst tire and when we rushed to the scene, we realized that there was an accident. As you can see, the tanker driver lost control of the vehicle as he rammed into the oncoming bus. It’s really sad,” another person who attended the accident scene said.
Accidents involving haulage trucks have been on the increase amid calls for authorities to effect a night travel ban for long-distance heavy vehicles.
