Published: 27 April 2013

Four people died, three of them on the spot, when a minibus they were travelling in burst a rear tyre and veered off the road before landing on its roof in Mwenezi along the Masvingo-Beitbridge highway on Wednesday night.

The fourth victim died on admission to Beitbridge District Hospital, while the 21 others who were injured in the accident were taken to Neshuro Hospital where their condition was said to be stable.

Acting Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Charity Mazula yesterday said the minibus was carrying 25 people including the crew when the accident happened.

She said the bodies of the deceased were taken to Neshuro District Hospital mortuary. "We are withholding the names of the deceased as all of their next of kin have not yet been informed,'' said Asst Insp Mazula.

She said preliminary indications were that the driver of the minibus, Munyaradzi Chikomwe (28) of Mbizo in Kwekwe, was speeding when the accident happened.

Chikomwe was driving the Mercedes Benz 22-seater minibus towards Beitbridge just before midnight and on approaching the 198km peg along the Masvingo-Beitbridge road one of the rear tyres burst.

He lost control of the minibus which veered off the road and overturned.

Chikomwe was injured and is one of those admitted at Neshuro District Hospital.

The Masvingo-Beitbridge highway is notorious for a spate of road accidents most of which claim many lives every month. The high number of accidents is blamed on the high volume of traffic along the highway.
- TH

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