Thirteen die after bus overturns in eastern Zimbabwe

Thirteen die after bus overturns in eastern Zimbabwe

2011-08-03 21:57:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

HARARE (BNO NEWS) -- Thirteen people were killed on Tuesday morning when a commuter minibus overturned on a road in eastern Zimbabwe, local media reported on Wednesday.

The accident happened on Tuesday morning on a highway near the town of Rusape in Manicaland province. The bus, which was carrying 23 people, was coming from the city of Mutare and was heading to the Zimbabwean capital of Harare.

According to the New Zimbabwe newspaper, the accident happened when the driver lost control of the vehicle after one of its tires burst. The minibus then veered off the road and rolled over twice before coming to a stop, police spokesperson Inspector Leonard Chabata told the publication.

Chabata added that 10 passengers died at the scene of the accident, while the remaining three died in a hospital. The other 10 people were being treated for various injuries at a local hospital

Tuesday's accident comes just days after another deadly road accident in Zimbabwe. On Saturday, nineteen people were killed and sixteen others were injured when another commuter bus crashed when one of its rear wheels came off.

Accidents are common in Zimbabwe and are mainly caused by reckless driving, dangerous roads and the poor maintenance of buses which are often overloaded.

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