Gweru – Three people died on the spot on Tuesday night after a Plumtree-bound bus travelling from Harare, was involved in an accident, 44km from Gweru.
According to police, the bus, owned by Revival Bus Services, had 51 passengers on board when it was sideswiped by a haulage truck coming from the opposite direction, at around 11pm.
Midlands police traffic coordinator Superintendent Leslie Maningi told NewsDay that three people died on the spot while others were admitted at Gweru General Hospital.
“Three are dead including a Gweru woman who had just boarded the bus and was on her way to Botswana. The others have been admitted in hospital although we are not yet clear of the numbers of those in critical condition,” said Maningi.
The drivers of the bus and the haulage truck accused each other of negligent driving in separate interviews with NewsDay.
Bus driver Mbuso Mabena said the truck had encroached into his lane and hit the rear of the bus, forcing it to veer off the road.
“He came into my lane and I think he must have been sleeping because when I saw the truck changing lanes, I flashed at him, but he did not respond,” said Mabena, who escaped the accident with minor bruises. However, driver of the haulage truck, Cliford Chikwengo (33), pointed a finger at Mabena, saying it was him who encroached into his lane.
“He was overtaking and was directly ahead of me. As I tried to avoid a head-on collision, I lost control of the vehicle and hit the bus,” said Chikwengo.
