8 dead as car smashes into bridge pillar

Eight people were confirmed dead Sunday while two others were injured after a vehicle they were travelling in crashed into a bridge pillar and flung passengers outside in a tragic road accident that happened along the Ngundu-Tanganda road.

In a statement on Monday, police said the incident happened on Sunday evening.

"ZRP reports a fatal road traffic accident which occurred on 21 July 2024 at around 7.50PM at the 70km peg along Ngundu-Tanganda Road in which eight people died while two others were injured," police said.

"A Toyota Probox registration number AFD 7476 with nine passengers on board veered off the road before ramming onto a bridge pillar.

"The vehicle overturned several times throwing out all passengers before landing on its right side."

Police said bodies of the victims were ferried to Chiredzi Hospital mortuary for post-mortem while the injured were taken to Collin Saunders Hospital and Chiredzi General Hospital for treatment.

Zimbabwean roads are considered one of the most dangerous in the world after 5 people die everyday as a result of road traffic accidents, according to authorities.

Government has come under criticism from the public for failure to put in place sustainable systems to mitigate the carnage with many dying from the accidents after failing to access critical medical facilities in time to save their lives.

Government ordered helicopters from Russia last year ostensibly to facilitate quick reaction to critical road accident situations and disaster management among other purposes but little has been heard of the public assets.