Fifty-year-old Rudo Sithole from Manase village in Chimanimani was inconsolable as she waited to be served at a Nyaradzo funeral parlour in Mutare yesterday.
Sithole was waiting to collect the body of her husband, who
died in a bus accident that claimed 37 lives in Chipinge in the early hours of
Friday.
The accident occurred five kilometres from Jopa turn-off
along Chimanimani-Chipinge highway just after midnight.
The St Charles Lwanga High School bus was carrying members
of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) from Chimanimani East’s Tilbury Estate, who
were travelling to an Easter pilgrimage at Mbungo Estates shrine, Masvingo.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) said the bus which was
overloaded with 106 passengers veered
off the winding road near Chimanimani and hurtled into a deep ravine.
Yesterday police said 37 people had died and 70 others were
injured.
“The police is still investigating the fatal road traffic
accident, which occurred at the 5km peg along Jopa-Skyline Road, Chimanimani
where 37 people died and 70 others injured,” police said.
“The ZRP wants to assure the nation that names of victims
will be released once the identification process has been completed.”
Sithole, who lost her husband Wilbert Garikai (52), was
distraught.
“On the day I had weird feelings, sadly when my husband was
leaving he said we might not see him very soon and I did not take it seriously
until I heard that they had been involved in an accident,” she said
“When I heard of the accident I started crying fearing for
the worst, which was confirmed early in the morning by my relatives.
“He died on the spot.”
Noah Mchakubvura (39) lost a relative in the accident,
while two other family members are admitted in hospital.
“I lost my brother’s son Delma and the mother of the now
deceased Tsitsi Parara is admitted at Chipinge hospital while Dylan
Muchakubvura (8) is admitted at Victoria Chitepo Hospital,” Muchakubvura said.
At Victoria Chitepo hospital in Mutare, families were
lining up to see their injured relatives.
A survivor of the accident Thelman Kauyeza (39) who was
admitted at Victoria Chitepo said he was travelling with his wife and two
children and they all survived.
“The bus fell into a valley after the driver lost control,”
he said.
Red Cross Manicaland provincial manager Munyaradzi Chikukwa
yesterday said they were providing medical supplies and blankets as well as
other interventions.
Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe road safety ambassador
Emmanuel Machikwa said the bus was overloaded.
“They were travelling at night on a dangerous road, which
is known for being covered with mist, and therefore visibility was
compromised,” Machikwa said.
“On a road which is curved with steep descending, drivers
depend more on brakes and it is not surprising that the brakes could have
failed leading to the driver losing control of the bus.”
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