News / Regional
Goods train runs over 'drunk' teen
01 Mar 2016 at 05:39hrs | Views
A GWERU teenager was yesterday run over by a goods train at around 5AM at the Gweru Railway Station after he fell asleep on the railway line in an alleged drunken stupor.
The teenager, who lived on the streets, was identified by his colleagues as Farai Sibanda.
They claimed that Sibanda was last seen drinking beer at a local bar on Sunday night before he headed to the railway station to sleep.
When The Chronicle news crew arrived at the scene just before 10AM yesterday, police were taking Sibanda's body away. A security guard at the train station who witnessed the incident but did not want to be named for professional reasons said Sibanda was dragged by the train for about 30 metres.
"We're not sure when the young man slept on the railway line but we suspect it was in the early hours of this morning. We suspect that he might have fallen on the railway line and failed to wake up.
"As I was making my patrols I only realised there was someone on the track when the train driver kept on sounding the train horn. By the time the train lights were focusing on him he was trying to wake up but unfortunately he was run over," said the security guard.
He said when he rushed to check on Sibanda his hands had been crushed but he was still alive but died moments later on the spot possibly due to excessive bleeding.
Midlands acting police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said she was still to receive a report on the matter while the National Railways of Zimbabwe spokesperson, Fanuel Masikati, could not immediately comment on the accident.
Sibanda's body was ferried to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary for post mortem.
The teenager, who lived on the streets, was identified by his colleagues as Farai Sibanda.
They claimed that Sibanda was last seen drinking beer at a local bar on Sunday night before he headed to the railway station to sleep.
When The Chronicle news crew arrived at the scene just before 10AM yesterday, police were taking Sibanda's body away. A security guard at the train station who witnessed the incident but did not want to be named for professional reasons said Sibanda was dragged by the train for about 30 metres.
"We're not sure when the young man slept on the railway line but we suspect it was in the early hours of this morning. We suspect that he might have fallen on the railway line and failed to wake up.
"As I was making my patrols I only realised there was someone on the track when the train driver kept on sounding the train horn. By the time the train lights were focusing on him he was trying to wake up but unfortunately he was run over," said the security guard.
He said when he rushed to check on Sibanda his hands had been crushed but he was still alive but died moments later on the spot possibly due to excessive bleeding.
Midlands acting police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende said she was still to receive a report on the matter while the National Railways of Zimbabwe spokesperson, Fanuel Masikati, could not immediately comment on the accident.
Sibanda's body was ferried to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary for post mortem.
Source - chronicle
