21 injured in bus accident

At least 21 passengers were injured on Saturday after a Changu Bus Service coach contracted to the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (ZUPCO) overturned along Lytton Road in Harare when the driver failed to negotiate a curve.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident yesterday.

“The driver of the Changu bus contracted to Zupco had 21 passengers on board,” he said. “On approaching a curve near Rugare traffic lights along Lytton Road, the driver lost control of the bus and it veered off the road before overturning once.

“Police were called in. The injured were taken to Sally Mugabe Hospital for treatment.”

Asst Comm Nyathi said the bus was taken to the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) for inspection.

He said it was not clear what caused the driver to lose control, but police were conducting investigations into the matter.

The weekend accident comes after concerns over the condition of some of the buses contracted to Zupco.

Recently, a bus contracted to Zupco veered off the road and rammed into several private vehicles and injured some pedestrians near Mupedzanhamo flea market in Harare.

Another bus contracted to Zupco, earlier this month veered off the road in Harare and narrowly missed a pedestrian who was standing on the pavement.

Early this year, 27 people were injured when a bus contracted to Zupco bound for Harare veered off the road and overturned near Beatrice, in Mashonaland East province.

-Herald