Perpetua Murungweni
Four cars were reduced to ashes in a fatal road accident which occurred at the 52 km peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge highway on May 15, 2023 at around 1500 hours and claimed the life of one person, leaving seven others injured.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) confirmed on their official Twitter handle that two haulage trucks one coming from Beitbridge and the other going in opposite direction had a head on collision at Jaka area.
“The ZRP confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred at the 52 km peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge road in which one person died while seven others were injured.
“A haulage truck which was travelling towards Beitbridge with five passengers on board was involved in a head collision with another haulage truck travelling in the opposite direction with two passengers on board. Both trucks caught fire and were burnt beyond recognition,” said ZRP statement.
Police said the two small cars also caught fire and were burnt beyond recognition while occupants escaped unhurt.
“As a result of the explosion, a Toyota Fun Cargo and Toyota Premier Vehicles were burnt beyond recognition. All occupants from Toyota Fun Cargo and Toyota Premier escaped unhurt,” added the ZRP statement.
However, eyewitnesses at the scene blamed the driver of the Toyota Fun Cargo believed to be a traditional healer Tsikamutanda as having caused the accident as he was reversing in front of the two trucks.
“The driver of the Fun Cargo who is a Tsikamutanda who has been operating in the local areas over the past days is the one at fault because he was reversing in front of the other haulage truck and with the intention of avoiding the smaller vehicle, the truck then encroached into the other oncoming haulage truck’s lane causing the crash,” said the witness.
