A horrific accident involving a tipper truck carrying 69 passengers has claimed two lives and left 51 others injured near Hwange town on Friday evening. The accident, which occurred around 6:40 pm, just 3km outside Hwange town near the 5 Miles area, has left the community reeling.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), in a post on its official X page, confirmed the details of the tragedy. “The ZRP confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred at the 330-kilometres along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road on 06/12/24 at around 1840 hours.
Two people were killed while 51 others were injured when a Shackman Tipper truck carrying 69 passengers overturned and landed on its left side. 16 passengers escaped unhurt. The bodies of the victims were taken to Hwange Colliery Hospital mortuary for post-mortem while the injured were admitted to the same hospital,” the statement read.
The truck, a Shackman Tipper owned by the Cha Chinese Construction Company, was carrying employees from Crack 9, five Miles Hwange. Police suspect the driver, Ephraim Manguruwe (26) of Nkulumane, Bulawayo, was speeding. According to police reports, as the truck approached the 330km peg, the driver attempted to avoid a pothole. This manoeuvre resulted in a loss of control, causing the vehicle to veer off the road to the left, before returning to the road and rolling once onto its left side in the centre of the carriageway.
The impact of the rollover caused the occupants to be thrown from the vehicle. The extent of the damage to the truck is significant. Police and fire brigade personnel responded to the scene, providing emergency assistance to the injured and recovering the deceased. The two fatalities were pronounced dead at the scene.
The injured were rushed to Hwange Colliery Hospital for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were taken to the same hospital’s mortuary for post-mortem examinations. The ZRP has provided a list of the deceased and injured individuals to the media, though this list is not included in this report.
The driver, Ephraim Manguruwe, has been charged with culpable homicide. The investigation into the accident is ongoing, focusing on the circumstances surrounding the loss of control and the potential contributing factors, including alleged speeding.
The accident has raised serious concerns about road safety and the conditions of vehicles used to transport workers. The high number of passengers in a vehicle designed for a much smaller capacity also raises questions about the adherence to safety regulations.
