Vehicle Accident Claims 4 Lives in Kwekwe

FOUR people died on the spot while several others escaped with injuries in the early hours of Monday when the driver of a commuter omnibus they were travelling is believed to have lost control of the vehicle near Tiger Reef in Kwekwe.

While details of what really transpired were still sketchy, police in Midlands confirmed the accident.

“We have heard about the accident and still trying to ascertain what really happened. We are yet to get clear details on what really transpired,” Midlands police provincial spokesperson Joel Goko said in an interview.

Witnesses said the driver may have lost control of the vehicle.

“We suspect that the driver might have lost control of the vehicle. It is really difficult to ascertain what transpired as it was still dark,” said one witness.

Those who died in the crash are said to be Kwekwe residents.

Redcliff mayor Clayton Masiyatsva told NewZimbabwe.com the dead were coming from Gokwe.

“I have heard that the kombi which was involved in an accident was from Rutendo and it killed four people.

“The accident happened in the early hours of Monday, and the kombi was coming from Gokwe,” he said.

The now deceased are said to have travelled to Gokwe to source for maize grain.

“Mostly women due to economic challenges are going to Gokwe in search of maize grain. They are using any sort of transport to travel.

“To avoid detection by police, the kombis travel under the cover of darkness,” Masiyatsva said.

Since the inception of the country’s lockdown against coronavirus in March this year, government has banned any other public transport except for Zupco.

However, this has not deterred some enterprising transport operators to devise methods of survival.