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Crime Reporter

FOUR school children died while 11 others were injured when a Nissan Caravan they were travelling in veered off the road and overturned three times last Friday along the Juliasdale-Nyanga Road.

The Nissan Caravan travelling towards Watsomba had 30 school children on board when the accident occurred near the 26km peg along the road.

The injured were taken to Victoria Chitepo Hospital for treatment.

In a statement, National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed.

“The ZRP confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred on June 2, 2023 at the 26-kilometre peg along Juliasdale-Nyanga Road in which four people were killed whilst 11 others were injured.

“A Nissan Caravan travelling towards Watsomba with 30 school pupils on board veered off the road and overturned three times before landing on its left side. The victims’ bodies were taken to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital mortuary for post-mortem whilst the injured are admitted at the same hospital,” he said.

Last week, five people, including four pupils, died while 21 others were injured when a Mazda T35 truck they were travelling in was hit on the driver’s door by a bus and it veered off the road along the Harare-Masvingo Road.

The truck had 22 pupils who were all thrown out.

One pupil died on the spot while the other three died on admission at Beatrice Hospital.

The fatal road traffic accident occurred at the 81-kilometre peg along Harare-Masvingo Road on May 31, 2023 at around 4pm.

Police said an Inter Africa Zhongtong bus travelling towards Masvingo with 59 passengers on board hit the driver’s door of a T35 truck travelling in the same direction whilst carrying 22 pupils, resulting in the T35 truck veering off the road to the right.

All pupils were thrown out of the truck and subsequently, one pupil died on the spot whilst three others died upon admission at Beatrice Hospital.

The bodies of the victims were taken to Beatrice Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.