Itai Muzondo
GWERU: Amid great anticipation that bodies believed to be in the Isuzu KB twin cab truck that drowned in Gweru river earlier this week would be tracked and found, both the rescue team and police have casted doubt that the vehicle had more than two passengers.
In a statement, both the police and civil protection unit have however said the search for missing bodies continue.
“We are continuing the search for the people who were said to be in the vehicle. We are however highly skeptical that there were more than two people following the observation that when the two bodies were retrieved, the car was tightly secure and locked.
“To date, police have neither received a missing person report nor further confirmation from respondent that there were six people in the vehicle. The number six was based on a respondents’ account which we can not also rule out until a thorough search has been done,” said Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Mahoko.
Head of Midlands Civil Protection Unit who is also Gweru District Administrator Jorum Chimedza also said the search continues.
“Work is still going on amid speculation that there might have been only two people in the vehicle. As authorities we need to make sure,” said Chimedza.
Private rescue team which was led by David Mukanuki also casted doubt that there might have been more people in the vehicle following his observations while retrieving the dead bodies.
“If the account that there were six people came from an eye witness it becomes difficult to rule that out. My observations however while retrieving the bodies was that the car was secured and locked to the extent that we had to break windows in order to gain access.
“The back window was slightly open but it is difficult that a person would escape through the small exit point even in normal circumstances,” Mukanuki said.
The deceased have been identified as Tinashe Chiwawa (50) of Senga Infill who was a City of Gweru employee in the Engineering Department and Shepherd Dzinoreva of Patchway Kadoma.
Meanwhile, police has further urged people to desist from crossing flooded rivers after three men reportedly drowned while crossing flooded Munyati River in Mvuma yesterday.
