The remains of the six people, including four foreigners, who died on 29 September when their light aircraft crashed in the Zvemahande area about 6km northwest of Mashava have been released for burial or cremation, <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/mashava-crash-victims-cremated/">reported The Herald</a>.
DNA tests and forensic examinations of the remains were conducted on Thursday last week.
Police identified the victims as Indian billionaire Harpla Singh Randhawa (60) of Murowa Diamonds, his son Amer Singh Randhawa, George Sibanda (51) of Murowa Diamonds, Nikhil Mahadik Milind of Murowa Diamonds, Reginald Muchemwa (38) who was the pilot and Pichumoney Viswanath (58) of RioZim Limited.
Of the six victims, the remains of the four foreign nationals were cremated on 06 October, while Sibanda was set to be buried in South Africa where his family lives and Muchemwa in Zimbabwe.
The Cessna plane, owned by Rio Zimbabwe Company, crashed at Peter Farm in the Zvamahande area of Mashava on a flight from Harare to Zvishavane.
The light aircraft is suspected to have developed a technical problem before crashing around 8 AM killing all passengers and crew on board.
In a statement issued after the fatal crash, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development said:
<blockquote>
On 29 September 2023, the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (RGMIA) Flight Information Centre (FIC) advised that they lost contact with a Zimbabwean-registered Cessna C206 aircraft registration No. Z-CAM.
The aircraft got airborne from RGMIA at 06:30 a.m. Zimbabwe time, flying to Murowa (near Zvishavane) with 6 people on board. The last contact with the aircraft was at 07:03 am Zimbabwe time.
The FIC had checked with destination and was told that the aircraft had not arrived. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirms the aircraft accident, and 6 fatalities of the occupants on board the aircraft about 6 km to the North West of Mashava…
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development – Air Accidents and Serious Incidents Investigation Department is carrying out investigations to establish the cause(s) and contributing factors regarding the accident in order to draw investigation conclusions and propose appropriate Safety Recommendations for the prevention of future accidents from similar causes.
</blockquote>
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RioZim Plane Crash Victims Cremated

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has provided additional information regarding the Rio Zim <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/09/29/rio-zim-plane-crashed-on-friday-in-mashava-masvingo-killing-six-people/">plane crash</a> in Zvemahande, Mashava, Masvingo province. According to police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Paul_Nyathi/">Paul Nyathi</a>, the crash resulted in the death of six individuals. In a statement seen by Pindula News, Nyathi said police will release further details as they become available. Read the statement:
<blockquote>
<h3>PLANE CRASH IN ZVEMAHANDE AREA, MASHAVA</h3>
The Zimbabwe Republic Police reports a plane crush which occurred on the 29th September 2023 between 0730 hours and 0800 hours where six people are confirmed dead. The Murowa Diamond Company (RioZim) owned white and red Zcam aircraft had left Harare for the mine at 0600 hours and crushed about six kilometres from Mashava. The victims are two Zimbabweans and four foreign nationals.
More information will be released in due course.
</blockquote>
Preliminary results from the investigation suggest that the plane had a mechanical fault.

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A Pindula News correspondent visited the crash site and described it as a gruesome scene with scattered body parts and debris. The correspondent said due to the extensive damage, it was difficult to determine the exact number of passengers onboard.
Locals reported hearing a loud sound and witnessing the plane circling before it tragically fell from the sky. The aftermath was disturbing, with body parts hanging from branches and chunks of flesh on the ground. Based on the discovery of seven pairs of shoes, it was estimated that seven individuals had died in the crash.
A CID officer at the scene said the area’s network would remain down until Civil Aviation authorities arrived. The weather conditions at the crash site were unclear, but it was misty and foggy in the Masvingo area.
The Rio Zim plane was en route from Harare to Murowa Diamonds when the incident happened, potentially due to a mechanical fault. Rio Zim is a prominent mining company in Zimbabwe involved in extracting gold, diamonds, and chrome.
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h3>

More Details Emerge On Rio Zim Plane Crash

A Rio Zim plane crashed in the Zvamahande area of Mashava, Masvingo resulting in the deaths of approximately six people. This marks the second plane crash for Rio Zim this year. <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/02/17/murowa-diamonds-fired-pilots-before-beatrice-plane-crash-report-20230217182043189324/">The first one that was carrying diamonds crashed near Beatrice.</a>
A Pindula News correspondent who travelled about 7km to reach the scene described it as gruesome, with body parts scattered and stuck to debris. The correspondent said due to the severe damage, it was challenging to determine the exact number of passengers on board. The discovery of seven pairs of shoes made some conclude that seven people had died in the crash. Said the correspondent:
<blockquote>
According to locals, they heard an extremely loud sound, and the plane was seen circling in the air before it tragically fell from the sky. The aftermath was gruesome, with body parts hanging from branches, large chunks of flesh on the ground, and some even stuck to the debris.
Determining the exact number of passengers on the plane was challenging. Sadly, there was nothing left intact of them. Based on the recovered pair of shoes, the estimate stood at seven individuals. A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer present at the scene said the network in the area was expected to remain down until Civil Aviation authorities arrived and informed the president.
I observed that body parts, if we can call them that, were being collected in bin liners.
It was misty and foggy in the Masvingo area this morning, although I am unsure if the same weather conditions prevailed at the crash site at the time of the crash.
Furthermore, I learned from the locals that the plane took off much earlier than its usual departure time of around 9 a.m. On this fateful day, it departed at approximately 7 a.m.
</blockquote>
The Rio Zim plane was en route from Harare to Murowa Diamonds when the tragic incident occurred. The investigation is ongoing, but initial reports indicate that the plane experienced a mechanical fault. 
Rio Zim is a mining company based in Zimbabwe. It is one of the largest mining companies in the country and is involved in the extraction and production of various minerals, including gold, diamonds, and chrome. The company operates several mines and has interests in different mining projects across the Midlands, Masvingo, and Mashonaland Central provinces. 
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