The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa Chipinge Correspondent
ONE person died on the spot and the other upon admission at Chipinge General Hospital after a World Vision vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a Masaga Tours bus, on Tuesday this week.
The accident occurred 20km outside Chipinge near Jopa, along the Chipinge-Birchenough Road.
Manicaland police spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the accident and said two people had been confirmed dead so far.
Insp Kakohwa said the accident occurred after a Masaga Tours bus that plies the Chipinge-Beitbridge route encroached into the lane of the World Vision Land Cruiser, resulting in the fatal head-on collision.
The World Vision vehicle was travelling to Mutare from Chipinge with seven occupants who sustained varying injuries, while the bus was travelling from Beitbridge to Chipinge.
No passengers from the bus were injured.
When The Manica Post news crew arrived at the scene, vendors who operate at Jopa, passengers from the bus and other motorists were retrieving passengers that had been trapped in the World Vision vehicle.
The victim who died on the spot was later identified as Carryon Sithole while World Vision employee Fortunate Gumuchu, who sustained serious injuries, died soon after admission at Chipinge General Hospital.
Chipinge district medical officer (DMO) Dr Brian Makumbe said an emergency helicopter ferried some of the critically injured passengers to Mutare Provincial Hospital for specialist treatment.
“We had two critical passengers who were ferried by air to Mutare Provincial Hospital while the other victims went by road. All are recovering well,” he said.
Meanwhile, residents have said authorities at the hospital should have power back up to cater for emergencies since it took over four hours to restore electricity at the hospital following Zesa load shedding.
This resulted in those injured failing to undergo requisite X-rays at the hospital.
