A Chegutu-bound truck carrying cotton seed went up in smoke on Wednesday reducing much of the lint to ashes.

Midlands acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende yesterday confirmed the incident that occurred at the Shurugwi-Boterekwa escarpment.

Mukwende said indications were that the truck caught fire after a battery exploded due to a mechanical fault.

Austin Hozheri, aged 41 of Tshovani, Chiredzi, was driving an Eagle truck towing a trailer loaded with cotton seed from Checheche depot to Chegutu.

“On approaching the 38km peg along Gweru-Shurugwi Road at the Boterekwa mountain range, the vehicle is said to have developed a mechanical fault and the battery exploded and fire erupted.”

She said police and the fire brigade attended the scene and extinguished the fire, but the truck horse had been reduced to ashes with the trailer partially damaged.

The driver, however, escaped unhurt although much of the cotton seed had been destroyed. -Newsday