Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe – At least 17 people were killed on Tuesday in a devastating head-on collision between a minibus taxi and a haulage truck along Seke Road near Chitungwiza, a densely populated town just southeast of Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, authorities confirmed.
The crash occurred after the truck’s driver lost control, veering into the opposite lane and colliding directly with an oncoming minibus. According to police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the truck had already struck two pedestrians walking along the center island moments before the impact.
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All 17 victims — including 15 minibus passengers and two pedestrians — died at the scene, Nyathi said. Several other passengers were injured and transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of devastation, with twisted metal and shattered glass scattered across the highway. The state-run Herald newspaper reported that the minibus was “completely flattened, with only fragments of its chassis visible beneath the truck’s undercarriage.” Rescue workers continued to retrieve trapped bodies well into the afternoon.
Chitungwiza Mayor Rosaria Mangoma called the crash “one of the most disturbing and traumatic scenes” the town had ever witnessed and urged the government to declare the accident a national disaster.
Road traffic accidents remain a persistent and deadly issue in Zimbabwe, particularly involving public transport vehicles. Contributing factors include reckless driving, over-speeding, and poorly maintained roads.
In February, a similar tragedy claimed 24 lives when a bus and truck collided near Beitbridge, close to the South African border.
According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, the country of 15 million records a road accident every 15 minutes, with at least five fatalities daily—ranking among the highest road death rates in Africa.
Authorities have once again called for improved road safety measures, driver education, and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations to stem the rising toll.
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