Beitbridge, Zimbabwe: A road accident happened in Beitbridge on Saturday in which two buses collided with each other. The death toll related to the accident has risen from nine to eleven, and two passengers have been reported dead after taking them to the hospital.
The incident happened when a City Bus Coach and Blue Circle Bus banged into each other.
As per the sources, the City Bus Coach carried 25 passengers struck by a donkey and veered into the path of a Blue Circle Bus which carried 43 passengers on board and led to a head-on collision.
Reportedly, the seven passengers have died on the spot and two more people have identified their injuries after arriving at the Beitbridge District Hospital.
Considering the reports, the death toll has now risen to eleven, which initially counted to nine. The Government and the bus operators have pledged to assist the victims’ families with the medical and funeral expenses.
Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister – Evelyn Ndlovu visited some of the survivors who were admitted to United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) on Monday, March 18, 2024.
Ndlovu said that the government is processing the relevant documents in relation to the incident for the repatriation of South African national who has also lost their life in the accident.
During her visit, Dr Ndlovu has also met the bus operators involved in the deadly crash.
She said she is happy to see that the bus operators are actively involved in ensuring the care of the accident survivors.
The minister mentioned that recently, she was in Beitbridge to assess and visit other survivors of the accident, and they need prayers and support for them to recover.
She said that the government has pledged to assist the survivors and families of those who have perished in the accident.
Moreover, the bus operators have also said that they will provide financial support for medical bills and funeral expenses. The government was satisfied with the manner in which medical staff attended to the accident survivors.
Dr Ndlovu said that the medical staff is efficient, and she is happy with the manner in which they are treating the survivors. The staff has also informed her about the requirements that they need to proceed with surgeries on those who require surgery.
“I have told them to work closely with the bus operators who are already footing the bill and are also complementing the efforts by the Government to assist,” said Ndlovu.
The Blue Circle operations manager, Nicholas Gowo mentioned that the accident was tragic and assured that they would cover all costs for the families who have lost their loved ones and will also handle the medical bills of the survivors, as they too have lost their drivers and it is really a very sad scenario.
He added further, “We are working closely with the Government to ensure that all the people that were affected by the accident are catered for.”
Sam Matanda the operations manager for City Bus has also committed to assist and stated, “We will assist in every way possible. It is sad that we lost lives I the accident and we mourn with the families.”