Twisted steel, mangled wheels, and the overturned carcasses of rail wagons paint a haunting picture of devastation on the railway tracks outside Gwanda. In the aftermath of the collision, a once-pristine Rovos Rail luxury carriage lies crumpled and torn, its fine finish reduced to wreckage. Coal is strewn across the ground like spilled ink, blackening the tracks and surrounding bush. Emergency responders, clad in heavy firefighting gear, climb across the unstable ruins, working against time to rescue the injured. Amid the chaos, stretcher teams carefully lift survivors from the tangle of metal and shattered machinery, as stunned onlookers gather below. Each image tells a story of sudden disaster, human resilience, and a scene transformed from opulence to calamity.

By A Correspondent | ZimEye | Chaos as Rovos Rail Luxury Train Collides with Goods Train Near Gwanda Gwanda – April 18, 2025 A serious train collision occurred just outside Gwanda Town this morning when a Bulawayo-Beitbridge Railway (BBR) goods train crashed into a Rovos Rail passenger train carrying tourists bound for Victoria Falls. The crash happened in the Hantinya area and left several people injured, primarily crew members from both trains. Emergency services responded swiftly to the scene, with the Gwanda Fire Brigade leading rescue efforts to extract trapped individuals from the wreckage. Images from the scene show intense rescue operations underway. In one frame, firefighters and volunteers are seen lifting an injured person on a stretcher from the wreckage. The overturned carriages lie scattered along the track, with twisted metal, dislodged wheels, and debris illustrating the magnitude of the impact. The Rovos Rail train, which had crossed into Zimbabwe from South Africa, suffered significant damage. Rescue workers in protective gear worked atop the overturned train cars, clearing wreckage and aiding the injured. All injured persons were transported to Gwanda Provincial Hospital. Their conditions remain unconfirmed at this time. The cause of the collision is under investigation.