Falls Road bus crash kills two-year-old

A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl died while 41 people were seriously injured yesterday when a bus veered off the road and overturned along the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road.

The driver of the Majamula Bus which was heading to Bulawayo from Binga reportedly lost control of the vehicle at the 50km peg at around 8.30AM.

Chronicle visited the scene yesterday and villagers said eight ambulances ferried the injured passengers to Mpilo Central Hospital and the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).

Pieces of glass, food and clothes were scattered around the wrecked bus and there were blood stains on its smashed windows.

“We saw the bus veering off the road and it overturned injuring many people. The fire brigade came and lifted it to rescue trapped passengers. Unfortunately one baby died,” said Don Mahlangu from Mathonisa village.

Confirming the incident, Bulawayo chief fire officer Mr Richard Peterson said 59 passengers were aboard the Bulawayo bound bus including three crew members.

“We received an emergency call at around 8.38AM and we proceeded to an area located at the 50km peg along the BulawayoVictoria Falls Road. We rescued 56 passengers and crew,” said Mr Peterson.

“A total of 41 passengers were taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals and Mpilo Central Hospitals including three minor boys. The other passengers refused to accept services we were offering saying they were not injured.”

He said it was not yet clear what caused the accident.

“Unfortunately one female child aged two died when we had just arrived. We would like to remind drivers and public transporters to ensure that they service their vehicles regularly to avoid road accidents and the unnecessary loss of life,” Mr Peterson said.

He said drivers must be careful as roads are wet while most of them have been damaged by the rain.

Matabeleland North traffic coordinator Superintendent Misheck Ngorima confirmed the accident.—@thamamoe