Nine people, including two children, were killed and 26 others injured on Tuesday morning after a passenger bus collided with a freight train at a railway crossing in southern Zimbabwe, authorities have confirmed.
The fatal crash occurred along Mbizi Road in Triangle, Chiredzi District, when a bus operated by Makuku Bus Services and traveling from Chikombedzi to Masvingo was struck by an oncoming goods train at a rail-level crossing.
According to Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi, the victims included seven adults and two minors. The injured passengers were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, while emergency responders worked at the scene to assist survivors and recover victims.
“More details will be available soon as police officers are still attending to the accident,” Nyathi said.
In a separate statement, the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) said preliminary findings indicate that the bus driver entered the railway crossing without stopping to check for approaching trains, contrary to established railway safety regulations.
“The collision occurred when the bus drove onto the crossing in the path of an oncoming goods train,” NRZ spokesperson Andrew Kanambura said.
Emergency teams from the railway company and local authorities were immediately deployed to the scene to support rescue operations and transport the injured to medical facilities.
Investigators have launched an inquiry to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
The NRZ used the incident to remind motorists of the importance of observing railway crossing rules, urging drivers to stop, look, and listen for approaching trains before attempting to cross railway tracks.
Tuesday’s tragedy comes less than a week after another fatal road accident in Zimbabwe, in which seven schoolchildren lost their lives when a minibus caught fire in the country’s central region.
The latest accident has renewed concerns about road safety and compliance with traffic regulations, particularly at railway crossings, where authorities have repeatedly warned motorists to exercise caution to prevent avoidable loss of life.
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