Sixteen people were injured, one of them seriously, when a kombi and a truck collided along Khami Road near Zuva Pumula East in Bulawayo on Tuesday afternoon.
Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Mhlangano Moyo said preliminary information indicates the truck was turning left into Pumula Road from a garage while the omnibus was heading towards the city centre.
Eyewitnesses alleged the truck encroached into the omnibus lane, causing the collision. The truck overturned, trapping some of its occupants underneath.
The crash triggered a frantic rescue effort. Members of the public used wheel jacks and manpower to lift the wreckage and pulled three people from under the truck. A fourth person who was trapped inside was later freed.
Firefighters and ambulance crews treated the injured at the scene before taking them to hospital. Moyo said 12 people in the omnibus and four in the truck were injured.
“No fatalities, everything is under control. We have a quick response,” he said.
“The gentleman who was in the truck is safe. So far, all is well.”
Police also attended the scene, taking statements from witnesses and controlling traffic while investigations continue.
The omnibus driver, identified by people at the scene as “Dread”, was seen moving around the scene despite calls for him to sit down. His shirt was bloodied, and he appeared to be injured.
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