A Timboon Coaches bus erupted in flames, reducing to a charred shell along the Harare-Chirundu Road on Wednesday, April 3.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) verified the incident, confirming that the bus, with 20 passengers headed for Magunje, was engulfed by fire. According to a statement posted on Twitter by the ZRP, all passengers managed to evacuate the bus unharmed.
In their tweet, the ZRP stated: “The ZRP confirms a fire incident in which a Timboon bus was burnt to a shell at the 180-kilometre peg along Harare-Chirundu Road on 03/04/24. The bus was carrying 20 passengers en route to Magunje when the driver noticed smoke coming from the engine through the gear lever. The passengers escaped from the bus and no one was injured.”
This incident comes after a tragic accident involving a Timboon Coaches bus in April 2023, which resulted in the loss of twelve lives, including the driver, after the bus crashed on the 5km peg along the Murammbinda-Chivhu Road.
During the aftermath of the 2024 Easter Holiday, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the ZRP national spokesperson, disclosed that there were 286 road traffic accidents recorded—a slight decrease from the 288 incidents in 2023. Additionally, 27 fatalities were reported during the 2024 Easter holidays, compared to 29 in 2023.
Asst Comm Nyathi emphasized that a comprehensive analysis by the Police attributed most accidents during the Easter Holiday to factors such as speeding, inattention, misjudgment, overtaking errors, and failure to adhere to road rules and regulations by drivers.