43 die, 24 injured in horror crash

At least 43 people died on the spot while 24 others were injured in a horrific road accident involving a Lusaka-bound King Lion bus that veered off the road and rammed into a tree along the Harare - Chirundu Highway on Wednesday night.

The crash occurred near Nyamakate Business Centre after the driver allegedly failed to negotiate a curve, resulting in the bus losing control before overturning. Some of the injured were rushed to Karoi, Chinhoyi and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for treatment.

Government has declared the accident a state of disaster and pledged US$200 in cash assistance and State-assisted funerals for each of the deceased.

In a condolence message, Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa urged public transport operators and motorists to reflect on their conduct and prioritise road safety.

"Whatever limitations there might be on our infrastructure, especially on the state of our roads, clearly these limitations by themselves need not preordain a tragic fate on innocent and trusting commuters," he said.

"There is a lot which owners and users of vehicles, as well as those mandated to enforce traffic laws, can do to avert such tragic disasters whose result is needless loss of lives, physical injury and incapacitation."

National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said preliminary investigations indicated that the driver failed to negotiate a curve near Nyamakate, leading to the fatal crash.

"The driver of the bus failed to negotiate a curve, leading to him losing control of the bus and hitting a tree before overturning," she said.

However, some survivors alleged that the bus was speeding and was overloaded, carrying 76 passengers instead of the permitted 69.

One of the survivors, Tapiwa Sande, claimed passengers had cautioned the driver earlier in the journey.

"The driver was speeding all the way from Harare. We tried to caution him in Banket when we stopped to pick up a passenger, but he would not listen. He even refused to take a break in Karoi where they usually make a stopover. He was in an uncompromising mood," he said.

Sande added that as the bus approached the Nyamakate curve, it encroached into the opposite lane. When the driver attempted to correct the course, a front tyre allegedly burst, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and crash into a tree.

Another survivor, Calisto Nyika, echoed similar sentiments, alleging that the bus became overcrowded after additional passengers boarded in Banket and Chinhoyi.

"It was just before we approached Nyamakate business centre that we heard the deafening sound of a tyre burst and the driver lost control of the vehicle," he said.

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Faber Chidarikire visited victims at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital and said the tragedy could have been avoided had traffic regulations been observed.

"It's sad that lives are being lost in a way that can be avoided and it's high time we should see that these drivers abide by road traffic regulations. We call upon the relevant authorities to impose stiffer penalties on those who violate traffic rules," he said.

The accident comes just months after more than 20 people died along the Harare - Masvingo Road when a haulage truck sideswiped a Johannesburg-bound Proliner bus before both vehicles burst into flames.

In July 2015, eight passengers died and 53 others were injured when a King Lion bus heading towards Harare burst a tyre and overturned along the Chirundu Road in Zambia.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Michael Madanha said road accidents are claiming an average of five lives per day in Zimbabwe.

Addressing a motor vehicle accident fund stakeholders' consultative meeting in Harare, Madanha revealed that a road accident occurs every 15 minutes in the country, with approximately 1 700 fatalities and more than 30 000 injuries recorded annually.

"These statistics, though frightening, must always be remembered so that we come up with a viable and sustainable fund which takes into consideration our country's current economic realities," he said.

He said consultations on establishing a motor vehicle accident fund had already been conducted in several provinces, and a steering committee comprising both public and private sector representatives had been set up to advance the initiative.

Madanha attributed most accidents to the country's deteriorating road infrastructure, stressing the urgent need for improved road conditions and stricter enforcement of traffic laws to curb the growing carnage.