Another road crash claims 12

Tawanda Mangoma in Checheche
TWELVE people died on the spot yesterday near Checheche Growth Point in Chipinge when a Green Fuel sugarcane haulage truck collided with a commuter omnibus. Chairman of the Chipinge District Civil Protection Unit Mr William Mashava confirmed the accident.

He said they had to rush to the scene soon after the collision.

“Yes, I can confirm that 12 people died on the spot near Gutika Academy which is a few kilometres from Checheche Business Centre this afternoon (yesterday),” he said. “A Green Fuel truck collided with a kombi, leaving 12 dead.

“Other injured passengers were taken to St Peter’s Hospital for treatment.”

When The Herald visited the scene, Chipinge South legislator Cde Enock Porusingazi, who had also arrived, said the Green Fuel trucks were overtaking each other, a development which saw one colliding with an oncoming kombi.

“It’s a sad day for Chipinge as we have recorded the deadliest accident which claimed 12 lives at once,” he said. “Remember, the Ngundu-Tanganda Highway has a section of about 55km which has gravel road. The haulage trucks which are carrying sugarcane for processing in Chiredzi were driving towards Chiredzi. The drivers happened to overtake each other before encroaching into the lane of an oncoming commuter omnibus which was on its way to Tanganda.”

Cde Porusingazi challenged motorists not to overtake when they were not sure about the road which they were travelling on.

“The road has a lot of dust and this requires all motorists, especially public transport operators, to exercise extreme care, especially now that we are towards the festive season,” he said.

Witnesses said the Green Fuel trucks were travelling towards Chiredzi with sugarcane for processing.

“The Howo (Green Fuel trucks) were driving towards Chiredzi,” said one of the witnesses. “The two trucks seemed to be in a race and they had been trying to overtake each other for a long time.

“The drivers continued driving for a distance while occupying both lanes and that is when we heard a big bang. We waited for the dust to settle only to discover that one truck had hit a kombi and people had died.

“The driver and other passengers in the front of the kombi were trapped.”