Harare – At least 17 people have been confirmed dead following a devastating accident on Tuesday morning involving a 30-tonne haulage truck and a Chitungwiza-bound commuter omnibus (kombi) along Seke Road at Hunyani Bridge, just outside Harare.
According to The Herald, rescue teams have so far recovered 17 bodies from the wreckage, with recovery operations still underway into the afternoon. The kombi was completely flattened after the runaway truck collided with it and landed on top, trapping passengers beneath.
Initial reports suggest the crash may have been triggered by a Honda Fit that allegedly swerved into the truck’s path. In a desperate attempt to avoid a collision, the truck driver veered into oncoming traffic, crashing head-on into the kombi. New witness accounts further allege that the truck may have suffered a mechanical failure – possibly a broken prop shaft – moments before the impact.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and managed to pull twelve people from the wreckage. Three were transported to the hospital in critical condition, while the rest were declared dead on site. The recovery of additional bodies later brought the confirmed death toll to 17.
Scenes at the site have been harrowing, with grieving family members collapsing in anguish as they identified their loved ones. The road remains closed as rescue and forensic teams continue working under difficult conditions to clear the wreckage and investigate the exact cause of the tragedy.
Traffic has been heavily backed up along the busy route, with authorities urging motorists to seek alternative routes. This crash is being described as one of the deadliest on the Harare–Chitungwiza corridor in recent memory.
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