17 dead in collision between minibus taxi and truck in Zimbabwe

AP News

A head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a haulage truck killed 17 people in northeastern Zimbabwe on Tuesday, police said.

Police spokesman Paul Nyathi said all 17 victims, including two pedestrians, died at the scene near Chitungwiza, a densely populated town about 25 kilometres southeast of Harare, the capital.

Nyathi explained that the truck driver lost control, veered into the opposite lane, and struck the minibus. Before the crash, the truck hit two pedestrians walking on a median strip.

Fifteen of the 17 passengers inside the minibus died instantly. Others were injured and rushed to hospital.

The state-run Herald newspaper reported that the minibus was “completely flattened,” with only fragments of its chassis visible beneath the truck’s undercarriage.

Chitungwiza Mayor Rosaria Mangoma called on the government to declare the crash a national disaster, describing it as “one of the most disturbing and traumatic scenes” the town had seen.

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