The elderly man, identified by police and the National
Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) as Everton Sithole, is admitted to Mpilo Hospital.
He sustained head and leg injuries.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico
Ncube said the 62-year-old homeless Sithole survived the train crash while
sleeping under a bridge.
“The incident occurred on Saturday morning when a train
driver employed by the Beitbridge-Bulawayo Railway, coming from Cement Siding
and headed towards Mpopoma, spotted the victim sleeping on a rail track,” said
Inspector Ncube.
“The engineman saw something that looked like a heap of
garbage on the railway sleepers, but when the train was about two metres away,
he realised it was a human covering his head with a cloth. The victim
immediately raised his head and was hit by the right side of the train bumper.
The victim sustained head injuries and bruises on both legs.
“The engineman managed to stop about 15 metres away from
the scene of the accident. “He then summoned an ambulance that ferried the
victim to Mpilo Hospital,” said Inspector Ncube.
Inspector Ncube said the man’s condition is stable and a
police report was made.
“We urge the public to take care of their relatives in need
to avoid such incidents,” he said.
NRZ’s public relations manager, Mr Andrew Kunambura,
confirmed the incident and expressed concerns over the high rates of train
accidents involving humans. Five people were injured in eight separate
incidents over a five-day period between 19 and 23 October 2024.
In one incident, a man was found with a broken leg on the
rail tracks in Makwiro, a settlement in Mashonaland West Province, after being
hit by a train. The NRZ is urging the public to stay vigilant when crossing
railway tracks.
“Motorists are also urged to stop at all level crossings
and only proceed when certain that there is no train approaching,” said Mr
Kunambura. Chronicle
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