Woman killed in Beitbridge bus accident

ONE woman died on the spot, while six others were injured on Monday evening after a Harare bound MB bus they were travelling in hit a stray cow about 78 kilometres away from Beitbridge.

Officer commanding Beitbridge police Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo confirmed the accident.

"A north bound MB Bus hit a cow about 2km before Bubi and overturned, killing a female passenger on the spot. The bus was from Beitbridge, but its intended destination was not supplied," Nyongo said.

He said the deceased will be named after her relatives have been informed.

"Six other passengers received moderate injuries and were admitted at the Beitbridge District Hospital. We are not yet sure of the condition of the driver; whether he got injured or not. We encourage drivers to exercise extreme caution as they drive along our rural roads.  They are bound to encounter stray livestock or wild animals," he said.

Beitbridge communal farmers whose area wholly lies in ecological region five have livestock as their mainstay.  There are also several wildlife conservancies dotted around the vast district.

Bubi Valley Conservancy is home to the Big Five and one of the world's largest lion species is found in Beitbridge.

Beitbridge is also partly home to the world famous Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou Trans frontier National Park.