HARARE, Jul 17 (NewsDay Live) - Nine people died early today when a commuter omnibus they were travelling in developed brake failure and plunged into Ruti Dam in Buhera.

Manicaland provincial Civil Protection Committee chairman John Misi said preliminary investigations revealed that the kombi moved on its own due to suspected brake failure and plunged into the dam after the driver had disembarked to load passengers' luggage.

Of the 12 passengers in the vehicle, only three managed to swim to safety.

This comes barely 24 hours after another road accident claimed six lives in Chinhoyi.