The bodies of businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife and three others have been retrieved from the scene of the helicopter crash at Kudenga Farm in Marondera, after spending the night there.
The remains were only loaded into funeral parlour vans after mid-morning on Thursday as forensic experts worked to formally identify them. The impact of the crash had made identification difficult.
The accident occurred around 5 on Wednesday at Kudenga Farm. The helicopter had five people on board: Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke, a security aide and two pilots.
The aircraft came down about 40 minutes after leaving Gandami in Chikomba, where the couple were building a rural home.
Police cordoned off the scene soon after the crash and began investigations.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, who visited the crash site on Thursday morning, said it was a sad loss.
“This is sad that we have lost people in this accident. We are here at the scene, and the bodies are being taken away. We are with the relatives of the deceased in our prayers,” he said.
Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Advocate Itayi Ndudzo also visited the scene.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) director-general George Mashababe said that preliminary findings indicate that fuel spilt and a fire broke out after the helicopter struck the ground.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established.
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