|
44 perish on roads
Herald Reporter
SIX people died yesterday when a Peugeot 504 sedan they were travelling in burst a tyre and collided with a Masvingo-bound Mhunga bus along the Harare-Masvingo Road near Lanark Store, about 30km outside Harare bringing to 44, the road fatalities in one of the bloodiest Easter holidays in years.
Last year 19 people died over the four-day holiday period.
All the passengers on the Harare-bound Peugeot died on the spot while the injured, who were on the bus, were ferried to Chivhu District and Harare General hospitals.
The Peugeot was coming from Zinatsa area in Chivhu but it could not be ascertained if the passengers were related by the time of going to print.
The number of injured people was not immediately confirmed. Ambulances sounding sirens were seen heading for Harare by late yesterday evening.
Beatrice police spokesman Simon Dube, who was at the scene of the accident, said the injured were ferried to Chivhu and Harare but did not give further information, referring The Herald to Harare.
However, eye witnesses said when the Peugeot burst a tyre, another vehicle — a Mazda 323 — that was travelling behind it tried to avoid a collision and encroached onto the other lane.
On seeing the Madza in his lane the Mhunga bus driver swerved onto the opposite lane and ploughed into the Peugeot killing all six on impact.
The bodies were ferried to Chitungwiza General Hospital mortuary where families who suspect their relatives could have been travelling in the Peugeot should go and identify the bodies.
The Peugeot was reduced to a mangled wreck, with the engine and gearbox being detached from the chassis.
Police spokesman Superintendent Andrew Phiri on Sunday said 10 749 tickets were issued to various traffic offenders while 433 unroadworthy vehicles were impounded.
Police have attributed most of the accidents to human error with the remainder blamed on driving without due care and inattention, overloading and defective vehicles. |
|
|
