It was absolute chaos on the Runde–Ngundu detour section of the Harare–Beitbridge highway last night as heavy rains battered the area, washing away parts of the road and leaving multiple trucks stranded.
At least two rigs got stuck within a 5km stretch after sections of the gravel detour collapsed under the pressure of floodwater.
The first incident involved a superlink that ploughed straight into a washed-away makeshift bridge. The horse dropped into the gap while both trailers remained perched awkwardly on the remaining road surface.
Not far from the scene, another truck got stuck on the road edges while trying to carefully negotiate what drivers describe as a narrow and risky passage. A video circulating online shows the stressful recovery operation, with the truck balancing dangerously close to tipping while crews attempted to pull it back onto stable ground.
Local drivers say the area has been receiving heavy rains for several days, which softened and washed away the gravel detour. Many truckers have long complained about the painfully slow progress on reconstructing this section of the highway. Construction here has dragged on for years, forcing transporters to use unsafe temporary routes that become a nightmare when it rains.
Watch: Brazen Robbery of a Trucker Caught on Camera on Masvingo-Chibi Detour
Drivers warn that using the detour without properly securing loads can easily lead to product shift or even loads dropping off completely on the rough terrain. To make matters worse, truckers have reported several robbery cases along the same stretch, especially at night when vehicles are forced to crawl or stop due to road conditions.
Authorities are being urged to speed up roadworks before someone loses their life. In the meantime, truckers are advised to avoid night-time driving in the area and approach detours with extreme caution.
Watch the video of the recovery of one of the trucks below:
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