News / Regional
Pregnant woman's stomach ripped open, foetus burnt beyond recognition
11 Apr 2012 at 16:06hrs | Views
A fire caused by an accident that claimed 12 lives in West Nicholson, 200 kilometres from Bulawayo along the Beitbrigde road on Monday blazed open a pregnant woman's stomach and burnt the foetus beyond recognition.
Witnesses who saw the police retrieving the bodies from a Toyota Hilux truck that was headed for South Africa and collided with a haulage truck on the 181 kilometre peg on Monday night revealed that one of the victims was a pregnant woman.
Six other passenger were burnt beyond recognition.
"When the police were removing the bodies from the wreckage, it was discovered that one of them was actually pregnant. The woman's stomach was opened and the police were heard saying the fire had caused the woman's stomach to rip open and the foetus was burnt beyond recognition," said the witness.
"This was further supported by a man who helped the driver of the Hilux load the passengers in Bulawayo that indeed there was a pregnant woman in the vehicle. He even indicated exactly where the woman was seated."
The police remained tight lipped on the matter with Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tafanana Dzirutwe only confirming that one of the passengers in the Hilux was a pregnant woman.
"All I can tell you is that a pregnant woman was part of the passengers who died in the accident," he said.
Meanwhile, the police have since released the names of 10 of 12 people who died in the fire.
Witnesses who saw the police retrieving the bodies from a Toyota Hilux truck that was headed for South Africa and collided with a haulage truck on the 181 kilometre peg on Monday night revealed that one of the victims was a pregnant woman.
Six other passenger were burnt beyond recognition.
"When the police were removing the bodies from the wreckage, it was discovered that one of them was actually pregnant. The woman's stomach was opened and the police were heard saying the fire had caused the woman's stomach to rip open and the foetus was burnt beyond recognition," said the witness.
The police remained tight lipped on the matter with Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tafanana Dzirutwe only confirming that one of the passengers in the Hilux was a pregnant woman.
"All I can tell you is that a pregnant woman was part of the passengers who died in the accident," he said.
Meanwhile, the police have since released the names of 10 of 12 people who died in the fire.
Source - Byo24News
