Harare: Police say at least 18 people died
when a bus veered off the highway and slammed into a tree
after a wheel broke off.
State radio reported today that other passengers in
the overcrowded 16-seater minibus were injured in the crash
Saturday about 90 kilometers northeast of Harare.
Police official Oliver Mandipaka told the state
broadcaster a rear wheel sheered off and the bus careered into
a tree 300 feet along the roadside. Mandipaka said 16 people
died on the spot.
Bus accidents are common in Zimbabwe, blamed mostly on
poor maintenance in the troubled economy, worn tires, speeding
and overcrowding. The state Sunday Mail newspaper reported as
many as 29 passengers were believed crammed into the 16-seat
bus.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, July 31, 2011, 19:26