9 killed as passenger bus collides with goods train in Zimbabwe

James Kunda

Nine people, including two children, were killed, with 25 others injured after a passenger bus collided with a goods train south of Zimbabwe on Tuesday, according to authorities.

“The collision occurred on Mbizi Road in Triangle, Chiredzi district, when a Makuku Bus travelling from Chikombedzi to Masvingo drove onto the crossing in the path of an oncoming goods train,” National Railways of Zimbabwe spokesman Andrew Kanambura said in a statement emailed to reporters.

The bus driver failed to stop and check for oncoming trains before crossing the tracks, violating railway safety regulations, he added.

Zimbabwe national police spokesman Paul Nyathi said that the fatalities included seven adults and two children, while the injured were taken to a hospital for treatment.

“More details will be available soon as police officers are still attending to the accident,” Nyathi said.

The crash happened less than a week after a minibus carrying schoolchildren caught fire in central Zimbabwe, killing seven.