“TOO MANY GONE”: DEATH TOLL RISES TO 30 AS PRESIDENT DECLARES STATE OF DISASTER AFTER CHIVHU CRASH
By Desire Tshuma
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a State of Disaster following the horrific road traffic accident along the Harare–Masvingo Highway that has claimed at least 30 lives, with several others battling for survival in hospital.
The fatal crash occurred at approximately 8:30pm on Friday along the 15-kilometre peg from Chivhu, near Spruit Bridge in Chikomba District, Mashonaland East Province.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, the accident involved a heavy truck transporting mining equipment from South Africa and a kombi carrying members of the African Apostolic Church who were travelling from Dema to Ndanga.
The two vehicles were involved in a head-on collision, triggering a devastating fire that trapped several kombi passengers inside the vehicle.
As of the latest official update, 27 people had been confirmed dead, with three others subsequently succumbing to their injuries at Chivhu General Hospital, taking the death toll to 30.
Several other victims sustained critical injuries and remain hospitalised, with authorities warning that the casualty figures could change as rescue and medical teams continue their work.
The tragedy has plunged families into mourning, with relatives facing the painful task of identifying loved ones lost in one of the country’s deadliest road crashes in recent years.
The kombi driver died at the scene, while the truck driver survived the collision but sustained injuries and was transported to Harare for further medical treatment.
Emergency response teams, working alongside members of the community in Chivhu, swiftly mobilised to conduct rescue and recovery operations. Small cranes were deployed to retrieve victims, while a fire tender was used to extinguish the inferno.
The wreckage and heavy mining equipment that had blocked the highway have since been removed using heavy-duty machinery, allowing traffic to resume along the key route.
The bodies of the deceased have been taken to the Chivhu General Hospital mortuary for identification and post-mortem examinations.
Authorities said the Government was working closely with relevant stakeholders and families to consolidate information and establish the identities of the deceased.
“The names of the victims will be released once the identification process has been completed,” the ministry said.
President Mnangagwa’s declaration of a State of Disaster is expected to unlock additional Government resources and facilitate coordinated interventions to support bereaved families, survivors and those injured in the crash.
The declaration also underscores the magnitude of the tragedy, which has once again brought Zimbabwe’s road safety crisis into sharp focus.
The Government expressed its deepest condolences to the bereaved families, friends and members of the African Apostolic Church community following the devastating loss of life.
It also wished those injured a speedy and full recovery, assuring the nation that all necessary measures were being taken to provide assistance and support to affected families and survivors.
