Drunk pedestrian blamed after 4 die in fiery collision between bus and fuel tanker

A drunk pedestrian is being blamed after a fiery bus collision with a fuel tanker which killed four people near Mutare on Christmas Eve.

Police say the driver of a Beta bus was avoiding running over the drunk unidentified man at around 6PM when he swerved into the opposing lane before crashing into a fuel tanker.

Two passengers on the Harare-bound bus, the fuel tanker driver and his passenger were killed in the crash about 15km out of Mutare on the highway to Harare.

“It is said that the bus driver tried to avoid a drunk person who was in the road thereby encroaching into the opposite lane,” national police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.

 

 

Witnesses described scenes of heroism as dozens of passengers helped each other to escape the burning bus.

The dead were burnt beyond recognition.

Police said 54 people were treated for various injuries at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.

 

Gripping Beginning

The Christmas Eve tragedy outside Mutare has left the nation reeling, as a senseless collision claims the lives of four innocent people. The shattered remains of a bus and fuel tanker stand as a somber reminder of the devastating consequences that can arise when irresponsible behavior meets the chaos of the road.

Unfolding the Tragedy

According to police reports, the harrowing events unfolded around 6 PM on the highway to Harare. The driver of a Beta bus, in a desperate attempt to avoid running over a drunk pedestrian, swerved into the opposing lane, directly into the path of an oncoming fuel tanker. The resulting collision was catastrophic, with the bus and tanker erupting in a fiery blaze.

Heroism Amidst the Chaos

Eyewitness accounts paint a haunting picture of the aftermath, with dozens of passengers bravely working to escape the burning bus. Their acts of heroism, in the face of such devastating circumstances, offer a glimmer of hope in this darkest of tragedies.

Tragic Consequences

The toll of this incident is heartbreaking – two passengers on the Harare-bound bus, the fuel tanker driver, and his passenger all perished in the inferno, their bodies burned beyond recognition. National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi made it clear that the drunk pedestrian’s presence on the road was the primary catalyst for this horrific chain of events.

A Somber Conclusion

As the nation mourns the loss of these four lives, it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of responsible behavior, both on the roads and in our communities. This tragedy has shaken Mutare and the surrounding region, leaving a community in grief and a country searching for answers. The lessons learned here must inform our collective efforts to prevent such senseless loss of life in the future.