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Crime Reporter
The death toll in road accidents for the Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day holidays has risen to 40 following the death of 11 more people in separate accidents between Monday afternoon and yesterday morning.
Police yesterday said the number of people who have been injured is 139 in 232 road accidents recorded during the holidays.

The accidents have been attributed mostly to human error, speeding, overtaking errors, misjudgement and inattention, and unlicensed drivers.

Last year, 43 people died while 189 were injured in 218 road accidents recorded during the same period.

National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said they impounded 294 vehicles for various defects.

“We have also issued a total number of 26 008 tickets to motorists for various traffic offences,” he said.

Chief Supt Nyathi said Harare still had the highest number of deaths with eight, followed by Masvingo with six, while Bulawayo and Mashonaland East recorded five deaths each.

Midlands, Mashonaland West, Matabeleland South, Manicaland and Mashonaland Central recorded three fatalities each, while Matabeleland North had one. Chief Supt Nyathi said they would continue maintaining police presence on the roads to reduce road carnage and curb criminal activities.

Chief Supt Nyathi said motorists should ensure that their vehicles were roadworthy.

This year’s Heroes Day and Defence Forces Day holidays started on a tragic note with 13 people perishing along the Harare-Nyamapanda Road on Monday last week.

The accident, involving a Zupco bus travelling from Malawi to Harare and a Nyamapanda-bound haulage truck, followed the death of 18 passengers in an accident involving a South Africa-registered truck and a commuter omnibus along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway a week earlier.

Meanwhile, two people were killed while five others were seriously injured when a South African registered Mercedes Benz Vito they were travelling in veered off the road and overturned along the Masvingo-Beitbridge road on Tuesday evening.

The incident occurred at the 249-kilometre peg near Matshiloni area at around 7pm.

National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said yesterday that the vehicle was travelling towards Beitbridge with six passengers on board. He said the deceased had been taken to Beitbridge District Hospital mortuary, while the injured were taken to the same hospital.