Goods train crushes ‘lovebirds’ in Beitbridge
A Beitbridge man employed by Bitumen World and his lover were on Saturday night fatally crushed by a goods train on the railway line about 60 kilometres north of Beitbridge along the track to Rutenga.
The man was off duty and apparently was spending some time with his lover on the rail line when they were crushed to death.
When contacted for a comment by NewsDay, ZRP’s officer commanding Beitbridge Police District Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said he was not in the district and was not aware of the incident.
However, Bitumen World director Andre Zietsman confirmed the incident to NewsDay, saying their employee was off duty when he died.
Yes, in his off time, he went and slept on the rail tracks and unfortunately, a train crushed him.
Bitumen World is one of the five companies upgrading the Harare-Beitbridge Highway and has its main camp near the site of the accident.
NewsDay reported a source as saying the now-deceased took a mattress and laid it across the rail line where he invited his lover.
It is suspected that the two were crushed to death in their sleep. Said the source:
Police were, literally, picking up pieces of the two lovers after the accident.
The names of the deceased were not yet to be made public.
