News / National
43 passengers escape bus fire
10 Oct 2023 at 00:54hrs | Views
On Friday, a cross-border bus transporting 43 passengers from South Africa to Mutare narrowly avoided a tragic accident when it suddenly caught fire around 4 am near the Tshapfutshe area, approximately 30km north of Beitbridge along the Masvingo road.
Fortunately, all 43 individuals on board managed to escape unharmed, except for one passenger who suffered a broken leg when she landed awkwardly on the road during the chaotic evacuation. She is currently receiving medical treatment at Beitbridge district hospital.
The fire resulted in the complete destruction of property estimated to be worth R500,000, including the Graca bus (MAN model), which was reduced to a charred shell.
According to Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, the officer in charge of Beitbridge, initial suspicions point to an electrical fault on the bus as the likely cause of the fire. He provided details of the incident, stating, "The bus was en route from Johannesburg, towing a trailer along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road, with 43 passengers on board heading to Mutare. When the bus reached the 255-kilometer mark, approximately 30km north of Beitbridge, the driver noticed smoke coming from the back seat. He promptly stopped the bus to investigate, but the fire rapidly intensified."
Passengers managed to escape through windows and doors, but one 43-year-old passenger in the back seat sustained a broken leg while exiting through a window.
Despite the loss of property, which included clothing, groceries, and furniture, valued at approximately R500,000, the goods loaded in the trailer were spared from the blaze. Chief Supt Nyongo added, "The incident was reported to the traffic unit, which promptly arrived at the scene. The injured woman was transported to Beitbridge District Hospital, where she is currently admitted and reported to be in stable condition."
This incident was a close call, as the last major fire accident involving a cross-border bus occurred in 2019, when 34 passengers narrowly escaped a Greyhound double-decker bus that caught fire at the 35-kilometer mark along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Road.
Fortunately, all 43 individuals on board managed to escape unharmed, except for one passenger who suffered a broken leg when she landed awkwardly on the road during the chaotic evacuation. She is currently receiving medical treatment at Beitbridge district hospital.
The fire resulted in the complete destruction of property estimated to be worth R500,000, including the Graca bus (MAN model), which was reduced to a charred shell.
According to Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, the officer in charge of Beitbridge, initial suspicions point to an electrical fault on the bus as the likely cause of the fire. He provided details of the incident, stating, "The bus was en route from Johannesburg, towing a trailer along the Beitbridge-Masvingo Road, with 43 passengers on board heading to Mutare. When the bus reached the 255-kilometer mark, approximately 30km north of Beitbridge, the driver noticed smoke coming from the back seat. He promptly stopped the bus to investigate, but the fire rapidly intensified."
Passengers managed to escape through windows and doors, but one 43-year-old passenger in the back seat sustained a broken leg while exiting through a window.
Despite the loss of property, which included clothing, groceries, and furniture, valued at approximately R500,000, the goods loaded in the trailer were spared from the blaze. Chief Supt Nyongo added, "The incident was reported to the traffic unit, which promptly arrived at the scene. The injured woman was transported to Beitbridge District Hospital, where she is currently admitted and reported to be in stable condition."
This incident was a close call, as the last major fire accident involving a cross-border bus occurred in 2019, when 34 passengers narrowly escaped a Greyhound double-decker bus that caught fire at the 35-kilometer mark along the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Road.
Source - The Herald
