Opinion / Columnist
Official statement from Brooklyn Express on Gwanda bus disaster
16 Nov 2018 at 15:23hrs | Views
Our heartfelt apologies go out to the relatives and families of the deceased whose lives were lost in an accident involving one of our Brooklyn express buses along the Bulawayo, Beitbridge highway. We would like to also extend our sincere apologies to Zimbabwe as a whole and we stand in prayer with the bereaved families, praying for strength while we all try to come to terms with what has happened.
To those who were injured, we wish you a speedy recovery.
On Thursday 16 November 2018, one of the Brooklyn Buses from our fleet which was enroute to Messina, was involved in a tragic accident where it is suspected a gas cannister smuggled by a passenger exploded in the luggage cabin. Upon sensing something was amiss, the bus driver pulled over to check and when he switched on the lights there was an explosion inside the bus. The accident occurred in West Nicholson along the Bulawayo, Beitbridge road at 11pm.
The accident resulted in the death of 31 people, as well as resulting in serious injuries to many other people.
Brooklyn Express is a small to medium business with over ten years of experience plying the Bulawayo, South Africa route. The business grew as a result of people who entrusted their safety in the hands of its trained bus drivers.
The CEO, Management and Staff of Brooklyn Express are remorseful, deeply shaken and stand with the nation in mourning the loss of life for such a huge number of its customers and fellow citizens.
As a law abiding business, we will wait for the official report regarding the accident from the investigating team and are cooperating with the relevant authorities.
We have also communicated with our insurers and are working on assisting the victims while conscious of the fact that lives cannot be replaced.
To the stakeholders in our industry; the Government of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the medical teams and everyone who attended the scene of the accident, we say thank you.
We remain a small business trying to play a role in growing Zimbabwe. Travelling with gas cannisters is prohibited on our buses and therefore, it is our humble plea with the Zimbabwean community to desist from smuggling cannisters onto public transport as this has far-reaching consequences.
In our operations, this accident will serve as a startling reminder to continue to abide and exercise our commitment to high safety standards while trying our best to decrease the scourge of people smuggling gas cannisters onto the bus.
Mr. N Ndlovu
Managing Director
To those who were injured, we wish you a speedy recovery.
On Thursday 16 November 2018, one of the Brooklyn Buses from our fleet which was enroute to Messina, was involved in a tragic accident where it is suspected a gas cannister smuggled by a passenger exploded in the luggage cabin. Upon sensing something was amiss, the bus driver pulled over to check and when he switched on the lights there was an explosion inside the bus. The accident occurred in West Nicholson along the Bulawayo, Beitbridge road at 11pm.
The accident resulted in the death of 31 people, as well as resulting in serious injuries to many other people.
Brooklyn Express is a small to medium business with over ten years of experience plying the Bulawayo, South Africa route. The business grew as a result of people who entrusted their safety in the hands of its trained bus drivers.
The CEO, Management and Staff of Brooklyn Express are remorseful, deeply shaken and stand with the nation in mourning the loss of life for such a huge number of its customers and fellow citizens.
We have also communicated with our insurers and are working on assisting the victims while conscious of the fact that lives cannot be replaced.
To the stakeholders in our industry; the Government of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the medical teams and everyone who attended the scene of the accident, we say thank you.
We remain a small business trying to play a role in growing Zimbabwe. Travelling with gas cannisters is prohibited on our buses and therefore, it is our humble plea with the Zimbabwean community to desist from smuggling cannisters onto public transport as this has far-reaching consequences.
In our operations, this accident will serve as a startling reminder to continue to abide and exercise our commitment to high safety standards while trying our best to decrease the scourge of people smuggling gas cannisters onto the bus.
Mr. N Ndlovu
Managing Director
Source - Brooklyn Express
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