Thirteen people perished yesterday after a commuter omnibus they were travelling in burst a rear tyre along the Harare – Mutare road. It was not immediately clear how many people had been injured in the accident.
Police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka last night confirmed the accident and said investigations were still underway.
“Thirteen lives were lost in an accident that occurred at the 184 km peg along Harare–Mutare road around 3pm today (yesterday). It was a 26-seater Sprinter commuter omnibus coming from Mutare to Harare, which burst its left rear tyre.
The driver lost control, the vehicle veered off the road and overturned once killing nine people on the spot. Four others died at Mutare Hospital,” said Mandipaka.
He said they were also still trying to identify the names of the deceased.
“In the meantime police are still making investigations with a view to making positive identification of the people and establishing the identities of the deceased.
“We continue to appeal to drivers, especially of public service vehicles, to ensure that their vehicles are mechanically sound before they travel and to drive safely on the roads to limit road accidents,” said Mandipaka.
The accident comes hard on the heels of yet another horrific crash that claimed 19 people along the Harare–Concession road after the driver of another commuter omnibus lost control after its rear tyre came off.
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The accident killed 16 people on the spot while three others died on admission to hospital.
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