BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA
NINETEEN people died while seven others were seriously injured yesterday in a head-on collision involving a haulage truck and a commuter omnibus at the 89km-peg along the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.
According to police, the commuter omnibus veered off the road on impact and plunged into Ngezi River, killing 19 people, 16 of them on the spot. The other three were pronounced dead on admission to Chivhu General Hospital.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident.
“I confirm that 16 people died on the spot at the 89km-peg near Ngezi River. The other three were reportedly pronounced dead upon arrival at Chivhu General Hospital. The driver of the truck, who was heading towards Masvingo, reportedly encroached into the lane of an oncoming commuter omnibus which had 23 passengers. This resulted in a head-on collision and the kombi plunged into the river,” he said.
According to police, 12 of those who died, among them the kombi crew, were adults while four were minors.
