The death toll from the road traffic accident that occurred on February 13 along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Road, near the Lutumba tollgate at the 262-kilometre mark, has risen to 28.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed the update in a statement posted on its X page, which reads as follows:

Reference is made to the ZRP press statement released on 21/02/24 on a fatal road traffic accident which occurred on 13/02/24 at the 262 kilometre peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge Road, Lutumba. The death toll has risen to 28. Two victims, a man and woman, are yet to be identified.

An Urban Connect bus, carrying 65 passengers, collided head-on with an Auro Transport haulage truck, which had four occupants, near Lutumba Toll Gate at around 8 AM on Thursday, February 13.

The accident occurred as the bus attempted to overtake another vehicle. The bus was travelling from Harare to Beitbridge, while the truck was heading in the opposite direction.

In response to the incident, Felix Mhona, the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, suspended Urban Connect Holdings Pvt Ltd from operating its omnibuses on all routes for six months.

Mhona said that the company was not in compliance with the country’s road traffic and safety regulations, leading to the temporary suspension of its operations.