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Insurance company battles to assist King Lion survivors

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THE Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) is battling to assist the 23 survivors of the Nyamakate bus disaster which killed 43 people when a King Lion bus veered off the road and rammed into a tree last week.

THE Insurance Council of Zimbabwe (ICZ) is battling to assist the 23 survivors of the Nyamakate bus disaster which killed 43 people when a King Lion bus veered off the road and rammed into a tree last week.

BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU

This came amid reports that accidents involving King Lion buses have claimed about 82 lives over the past four years, mostly during the month of June.

ICZ public relations consultant Ringisayi Batiya said: “At the moment, we are concentrating on this particular accident, ensuring that assistance is rendered to bury the deceased and also working with hospitals so that all the injured receive treatment without glitches. After this, we will then look at the cause of the claim and investigate in relation to any previous accidents involving the client.”

She said ICZ had not put a ceiling on the medical bill claims after the government declared the accident a state of disaster.

“Since the accident was declared a national disaster, ICZ has responded by paying medical expenses in full. ICZ is not working with a ceiling, but will only know the total costs once all the bills have been submitted for payment by the service providers, that is hospitals, mortuaries and funeral parlours” Batiya added.

King Lion directors Doubt and Christine Taranhike have kept their silence on the accident.

The directors, on Thursday, refused to speak to NewsDay Weekender reporters, who visited their Emerald Hill offices, but only sent a guard with a typed message for the media.

“We are so sorry about the incident. Our condolences to those who lost their beloved ones. For those injured, we wish them speedy recovery. Please be advised that Insurance Council of Zimbabwe is handling all medical and death claims,” the terse statement read.

The Passengers’ Association of Zimbabwe has since petitioned President Robert Mugabe to suspend the bus company’s operating licence as investigations into the company’s accidents continue.

Memory Machemedze, one of the injured passengers, has been discharged from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals after successful surgery on her abdomen to rectify her injured kidney.

Machemedze’s relative, Bile Jaidi, said ICZ had chipped in on the hospital bill, allowing them to leave the health institution that has been in the news for detaining patients who would not have settled their bills.

“It took us sometime to receive assistance and we had to rely on our own savings. However, on Wednesday, when Memory was discharged from hospital, it was on the understanding that King Lion’s insurance would foot the bill,” Jaidi said.

“Memory’s recovery is still a long way as she is still having difficulties in using one of her injured hand and still relies heavily on pain killers to get relief.”

Police are still to complete investigations into the actual cause of the accident, but there are allegations that the driver was speeding.