Three people survived the horrific crash, police said.
HARARE, July 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Twenty people died on the spot when two vehicles collided on a highway in southern Zimbabwe.
Three people survived the horrific crash that occurred between the cities of Masvingo and Bulawayo.
Police say a Toyota Granvia burst a front tyre and ploughed into a Toyota Wish driving the opposite direction towards Masvingo.
“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.”
Zimbabwe recently banned intercity travel as it tightened lockdown regulations to stop the spread of Covid-19 amid a surge in new infections.
The ban effectively removed buses from the roads and is forcing travelers with emergencies to use unregistered and often unroadworthy transporters.
Hundreds of people die on Zimbabwe’s roads every year due to poorly maintained road network and vehicles that are not roadworthy.
Zimbabwe is struggling to maintain its road network due to an economic crisis that has persisted for nearly two decades.
The state of the roads deteriorated early this year to heavy roads and a cyclone that damaged infrastructure.
In February, the government declared all roads in the country “a state of disaster”, blaming floods for the poor state of the highways. — NNN-AGENCIES
