Incident Report Subject: Zimbabwe – 24 People Killed in Road Accident Involving Ethanol Tanker Date of Email report: Thu 31/10/2013 Report Detail:
The mourners, who are members of the Mlambo family, were coming from Harare and going to Mariya Village with the body of Clifford Mlambo. Some witnesses said the tanker exploded before they could rescue most of the injured victims, resulting in only six being saved from the inferno. 21 people died on the scene and the six rescued victims were taken to St Peters Hospital, where the other three died on admission. When the ZBC News crew arrived at the scene of the accident, charred bodies were still scattered on the road while other bodies were trapped under the wreckage of the haulage truck. Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said investigations are under way to determine the cause of the accident. Chipinge South legislator, Cde Enock Porusingazi said the horror crash was the first of its kind in the area. “This has never happened here, and the most painful thing is that these people were going to a funeral with the body of their relative, and that they perished here, with the deceased’s body being burnt,” said Cde Porusingazi. Zanu PF Manicaland Provincial Chairperson, Ambassador John Shumba Mvundura said “I have never seen such a horrific accident which claims all these people, most of whom are related, at the same time and at the same place. This is really shocking,…….I am really sorry for those who perished here and those injured. Accidents are on the increase in the Chiredzi-Mutare highway due to the increase in traffic as trucks transport ethanol, and road users say there is need to widen the road. Additional Documentation:
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