A survivor of a road traffic accident involving two ZUPCO buses which occurred in Mashonaland West Province on Monday morning said that one of the bus drivers was reckless and speeding.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed yesterday that four people including both drivers died while 67 others were injured when two ZUPCO buses collided head-on at the 101km-peg from Harare on the Chirundu highway.
ZRP national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the collision occurred at the black spot known as PaBhutsu.
Nyathi added that the buses collided at 7.45 am between Banket and Chinhoyi near Dondo River Bridge.
The southbound ZUPCO bus was reportedly carrying civil servants and school children from Chinhoyi to Banket.
The driver of the bus tried to overtake a haulage truck on its way to Banket and collided with the ZUPCO bus travelling north.
Both bus drivers died on the spot and their bodies were trapped.
Mwaonei Marumisa, a teacher at Sacred Heart High School, who survived the accident with multiple injuries blamed the driver of the bus that plies the Chinhoyi-Banket route for the accident. She said:
The bus usually ferries civil servants, mostly teachers and health personnel who stay in Chinhoyi but work in Banket.
It also services school children who learn in Banket.
If you were to do your checks, you would realise that most of the victims were teachers and school children.
Our driver was reckless, he was speeding and tried to overtake a haulage truck on a blind rise that resulting in the accident.
She said a teacher at Newlands Primary School which is about 150 metres from the accident scene, died in the accident.
People who witnessed the accident unfolding told The Herald that the haulage truck driver tried to warn the bus driver against overtaking by hooting, but he continued to try to pass, resulting in the collision.
Meanwhile, ZUPCO acting chief executive officer Evaristo Madangwa said ZUPCO will assist the bereaved families and meet medical bills for the injured. Said Madangwa:
The accident is being handled by the police and it is best if we work with one central position so that we don’t have contradicting statements.
But we will provide assistance to the bereaved families and the injured.