GWERU – Police released names of 10 road accident victims who died on Wednesday evening at the 25km peg along the Gweru-Kwekwe highway.
Ten people perished on the spot in a collision between a bus and kombi and one more died upon admission at the Gweru General Hospital, raising the death toll to 11.
Six of the dead passengers were members of the same family: Tatenda and Tawanda Chinave, both male adults; Patience Phiri a female adult and a male juvenile Tanaka Phiri aged 14 of Jacaranda Avenue in Redcliff, and Taruvinga and Pamela Maziva, male and female adults respectively.
Also positively identified among the victims were Charity Jairos a male adult, Evolution Manhanda a male adult, Prudence Mbedzi a female adult as well as Lungi Mbano, a male adult from Rutendo suburb in Kwekwe.
Eight of the deceased victims, according to a police statement released on Thursday, were from BD 86 gold mine in Kwekwe.
National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the accident occurred after a speeding Toyota Hiace kombi driver heading towards Kwekwe from Gweru carrying 15 passengers tried to overtake two cars which led to the head-on collision with a Sonylong bus which had 53 passengers on board at around 6.15PM. The bus was coming from Kadoma, in the opposite direction.
Nyathi said upon impact, the Kombi overturned and landed on its side and had its roof torn off. The 10 people who died on the spot were in the kombi, while five others were injured, one of whom later died in hospital.
The Sonylong bus veered off the road and landed in a ditch injuring two passengers and the bus driver.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police would like to urge motorists to always exercise caution when driving and avoid overtaking in situations which do not allow them to do so safely,” Nyathi said.
“Drivers should be conscious and know that road safety is also part of their responsibility on the road all the times.”
The accident comes as Zimbabwe prepares for a long Independence and Easter holidays which usually sees a surge in road traffic accidents as people travel to different destinations to be with their families.
