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Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
At least 32 people have died and 163 others were injured in separate road accidents across the country during the Easter holiday, police confirmed yesterday.

This is an increase from 18 people, who were killed and 92 injured in road accidents during the same period last year.

Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said by yesterday 265 road accidents had been recorded countrywide with 20 of them being fatal.

He attributed the accidents to speeding, inattention and failure to observe road rules among others.

“While no major road traffic accidents have been recorded during the Easter holiday the major causes of the accidents so far have been observed to be speeding, inattention, misjudgement, overtaking errors and failure to observe road rules and regulations,” he said.

Chief Supt Nyathi said last year 166 road accidents, nine of them fatal, were recorded during the Easter holiday.

“Police have also impounded 61 vehicle for defects and unroadworthiness compared to 63 last Easter.

“Before the 10 deaths recorded as of yesterday, 11 people died in eight separate road traffic accidents on March 31 (Saturday) 2018, which occurred throughout the country.

In a first incident, which occurred at the 23-kilometre peg along Chivhu-Nyazura Road around 2:30pm two people were killed and 14 others injured when a Nissan Caravan commuter omnibus heading towards Chivhu encroached onto the oncoming lane resulting in a head-on collision with a Nissan Atlas lorry.

“In another accident that occurred at the 40km peg along Murehwa-Musami Road at around 1300hours, one person died and three others injured when the driver of a Nissan Caravan they were travelling in, who was speeding, failed to negotiate a curve and as a result the vehicle veered off the road and overturned before landing on its roof in a drain,” he said.

Chief Supt Nyathi said another accident occurred at the 68km peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, near Mandiva Primary School, Masvingo, at around 9.30pm.

“The driver of a Hyundai Sonata heading towards Masvingo encroached into the lane of oncoming traffic where a White Horse Coach’s bus was coming resulting in a side-swipe and colliding with another vehicle, which lost control and overturned, landing on its right side.

“As a result of the accident seven passengers from this other vehicle were injured and taken to Chivi Hospital where one of them died on admission.

“In a similar incident, which occurred along Seke Road near ABC Auctions at around 2030 hours, a vehicle turned in front of an oncoming vehicle, a Toyota Sprinter, which was carrying passengers. As a result one person was killed and 10 others seriously injured,” he said.

Other accidents occurred along Seke Road near St Mary’s Police Station where one person died, along Headgear Road in Chakari where one person also died, 64km peg along Harare-Bulawayo Road where two people died and at 50km peg Bulawayo-Plumtree Highway where two people also died.

“We urge drivers to travel at safe speeds and consider the safety of other road users. Pedestrians are also being urged to be observant when crossing roads and to use designated crossing points,” he said.