Gokwe-Kwekwe Road accident death toll rises to 10

THE death toll from a head-on collision between a bus and a haulage truck along the Gokwe–Kwekwe Road has risen to 10, after eight people died on the spot on Wednesday morning in yet another fatal crash on Zimbabwe's highways.

Police confirmed that the accident occurred at around 0500 hours at the 110-kilometre peg along the Gokwe–Kwekwe Road, when the bus, carrying 36 passengers, attempted to overtake another vehicle before colliding with an oncoming truck.

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations into the cause of the accident were underway.

The latest tragedy adds to a string of fatal road crashes recorded in recent days, raising renewed concern over speeding, overtaking errors and road safety compliance.

In a separate incident, police in Hwange arrested the driver of a Toyota Noah involved in a fatal crash at Deka Bridge on Saturday, in which eight Roman Catholic congregants lost their lives.

The vehicle reportedly lost control while crossing the bridge at around 7am along Deka Road near Hwange before plunging into Deka River.

Police said 13 congregants who were returning from an all-night prayer vigil were on board the vehicle. Eight died after the vehicle submerged, while five survivors were rescued and taken to Hwange Colliery Hospital.

Following the accident, President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared the Deka Bridge crash a State of Disaster under the Civil Protection Act, enabling government to mobilise assistance for bereaved families and injured survivors.

Meanwhile, another road traffic accident on May 25 claimed six lives when a Honda Fit collided with a haulage truck at the 223-kilometre peg along the Harare–Bulawayo Road near the Redcliff turn-off at around 1745 hours.

Authorities say the spate of fatal crashes has heightened calls for stricter enforcement of road traffic regulations, improved driver discipline and urgent rehabilitation of major highways as holiday and peak travel periods approach.