By Kwanta Douglas –
Not less than twenty people died on the spot on Monday when two vehicles collided on a highway in southern Zimbabwe.
Earlier a horrible crash that occurred between the cities of Masvingo and Bulawayo claimed the lives of three persons.
A Toyota Granvia allegedly ruptured a front tyre and collided with a Toyota Wish traveling in the opposite direction towards Masvingo, according to police.
“The (Zimbabwe Republic Police) ZRP confirms that 20 people have died when a Toyota Granvia, which was travelling from Masvingo towards Zvishavane burst a tyre, veered onto the oncoming Toyota Wish’s lane, which was coming from the Zvishavane direction,” said police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
“Three injured victims were taken to Zvishavane District Hospital while the bodies have been taken to Masvingo Provincial Hospital.”
Intercity travel was recently banned in Zimbabwe as the country strengthened lockdown laws to combat the spread of Covid-19, which has seen an increase in new infections.
The restriction effectively removed buses off the highways, requiring emergency travelers to rely on unregistered and often unsafe modes of transportation.
Every year, hundreds of people die on Zimbabwe’s roads as a result of a poorly maintained road network and unroadworthy automobiles.
Due to a nearly two-decade-long economic crisis, Zimbabwe is struggling to keep its road network up to date.
Early this year, the state of the roads deteriorated due to excessive traffic and infrastructure damage caused by a hurricane.
The administration classified all roads in the country “in a condition of disaster” in February, blaming the terrible status of the highways on floods.