By Crime and Courts-The police have confirmed the death of 25 people in a head-on collision in Beitbridge yesterday morning.
The accident occurred after the Urban Connect Bus erroneously overtook and collided head-on with a haulage truck near Beitbridge.
Both drivers survived but sustained critical injuries.
The Government has since declared the accident a national disaster.
In a statement yesterday, President Mnangagwa said: “The death of fellow Zimbabweans in a head-on collision between an Urban Connect bus and a commercial truck along the Beitbridge-Masvingo highway this morning (yesterday), left me horrified and heartbroken.
“Fellow Zimbabweans, our nation does not deserve this at all, let alone experiencing such a bloody incident at the beginning of the year. We have to do all that is possible to curb this unjustified loss of life.”
The President appealed to drivers to exercise caution on the roads for the sake of fellow road users and themselves.
All arms of Government responsible for ensuring safety on the roads have been directed to work around the clock and evoke all legal means and powers available to them to reduce road carnage.
Added President Mnangagwa: “Government has, therefore, declared this incident a national disaster and will accord victims of this horrendous crash State-assisted burial.
“As I express my deepest, heartfelt condolences to families and relatives who have lost their loved ones in this horrific crash, I also heartily and prayerfully reach out to all those injured and hospitalised, wishing them speedy recovery.”
Beitbridge district medical officer, Dr Lenos Samhere, said 17 passengers died on the spot while eight others who had sustained head injuries, died upon admission at the Beitbridge District Hospital.
Fifty-three others were admitted for medical attention, with 10 of them who were critical, being transferred to Gwanda Provincial Hospital.
“Among the injured are 26 men and 30 women who have varied injuries and are admitted at the hospital,” said Dr Samhere.
Tragedy struck when the Beitbridge-bound Urban Connect bus collided head-on with a commercial truck travelling to Chirundu, carrying 34 tonnes of magnesium. The injured were rescued by other motorists, the police and other stakeholders working together with the local Civil Protection Committee.
In a statement yesterday, Urban Connect Bus Company expressed condolences to the grieving families and the nation.
The company pledged compassionate assistance of US$500 to each grieving family.
“As Urban Connect, we want to express our heartfelt condolences to families and relatives of our fellow Zimbabweans who passed on in the bus accident on Thursday 13 February 2025 near the Lutumba Tollgate along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.
“We wish a speedy recovery to those injured. We will offer compassionate assistance to relatives of the departed and we have started rendering assistance to the injured.
“In addition, we pledge to cooperate with authorities in investigations into this accident,” a company representative said.
National police spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, said the bodies of all victims had been taken to Beitbridge District Hospital mortuary for post-mortems.
Police will release more details when available.
When The Herald news crew arrived at the scene yesterday, the police, community members and the Municipality of Beitbridge emergency services were pulling out some bodies trapped in the wreckage of the bus.
A crowd had also formed around the accident scene, with curious residents checking for possible relatives who could have been victims of the fatal accident.
One of the first people to attend the scene, Mr Thomas Nhundu who works for a funeral parlour and was driving towards Beitbridge, said he, together with other people living close to the highway, retrieved some of the injured from the bus.
“The bus had just overtaken and when we arrived there were bodies all over the tarmac. The injured whom we pulled out of the wreckage were transported to the hospital by the police, other motorists and various Government agencies,” said Mr Nhundu.
Another witness, Mr Leonard Wanderson, a resident of Tshapfutshe said he rushed to the scene after hearing a loud bang near the tollgate.
“I had seen the bus passing through our business centre when suddenly I heard a loud bang and I rushed here. Together with other community members, we then started rescuing those who were injured and covering dead bodies with blankets and some clothes that were strewn all over the scene,” he said.
Mr Wanderson said most of the passengers who were sitting on the front seats were thrown on the tarmac on impact.
Following the accident, some panic-stricken residents thronged the hospital to check on their relatives who were reported to have been travelling from Harare.
Others said they were at the hospital to offer compassion to the bereaved and material support to the hospital.
In separate interviews, some survivors said they were sleeping by the time of accident, only to wake up on the tarmac and later to hospital.
“I was awoken by the large bang and I saw a lot of bodies lying on the road. I became very scared and in a few moments, I was rushed to the hospital where medical staff attended to me and the other injured passengers,” said Mr Tinsahe Chingo from Chitungwiza.
Ms Tambudzai Mugasa said she became frightened after noticing that the bus was about to collide with the truck.
“I just stared at death haplessly and put everything in God’s hands when I noticed that the bus was about to collide with the truck. The next thing, I found myself outside the bus next to several dead bodies,” she said.
Environmental Management Agency spokesperson, Ms Amkela Sidange, said the magnesium that had spilled on the accident scene was likely to cause minimal effect on the environment.
-State media