News / National
Bus catches fire near Victoria Falls, passengers escape unharmed
11 Oct 2023 at 14:30hrs | Views
On Monday, more than 70 passengers had a narrow escape from a life-threatening situation as a Stallion Cruise bus bound for Victoria Falls suddenly erupted in flames near the airport. The bus, originating from Bulawayo, became engulfed in fire and reduced to a charred wreck.
Miraculously, there were no reported fatalities or injuries among the passengers. However, an unconfirmed amount of luggage was lost to the flames. Eyewitnesses described how the driver swiftly pulled the bus over, allowing passengers to evacuate as dark plumes of smoke billowed into the air.
Law enforcement authorities verified the incident and initiated an investigation to ascertain the fire's cause. Inspector Glory Banda, the police spokesperson for Matabeleland North, provided a statement, saying, "I can confirm that this occurred around 5.30 pm when a fire broke out inside a bus called Stallion. The cause of the fire has not been established, and investigations are in progress." He also urged drivers to exercise caution and avoid excessive speed on the nation's roads.
Separately, an unverified number of passengers sustained injuries on Tuesday night in another accident. This time, a bus en route to Bulawayo from Lusulu in Binga veered off the road due to the driver losing control. The accident occurred just past midnight, approximately 10 kilometers before the Gwayi River, resulting in three individuals sustaining limb fractures. The bus belonged to Relax Motorways, which operates on the Bulawayo-Binga route.
Miraculously, there were no reported fatalities or injuries among the passengers. However, an unconfirmed amount of luggage was lost to the flames. Eyewitnesses described how the driver swiftly pulled the bus over, allowing passengers to evacuate as dark plumes of smoke billowed into the air.
Law enforcement authorities verified the incident and initiated an investigation to ascertain the fire's cause. Inspector Glory Banda, the police spokesperson for Matabeleland North, provided a statement, saying, "I can confirm that this occurred around 5.30 pm when a fire broke out inside a bus called Stallion. The cause of the fire has not been established, and investigations are in progress." He also urged drivers to exercise caution and avoid excessive speed on the nation's roads.
Separately, an unverified number of passengers sustained injuries on Tuesday night in another accident. This time, a bus en route to Bulawayo from Lusulu in Binga veered off the road due to the driver losing control. The accident occurred just past midnight, approximately 10 kilometers before the Gwayi River, resulting in three individuals sustaining limb fractures. The bus belonged to Relax Motorways, which operates on the Bulawayo-Binga route.
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