The ManicaPost
Post Reporter
ONE person was on Wednesday night burnt beyond recognition, while four others survived with various degrees of burns after a Honda Fit they were travelling in developed a brake failure at the steep Chikubvu ascend along Mutare-Burma Valley Road before overturning twice and catching fire.
The Honda Fit was reported to have had seven people on board when the accident happened. Others claimed it had eight people on board. The pirating Honda Fit was on its way from Matondo Business Centre at Chitakatira area of Mutare District to Burma Valley when it developed brake failure.
The driver who survived the accident is alleged to have announced to his passengers that the vehicle was experiencing brake failure and there was panic.
He allegedly failed to negotiate one of the sharp curves, resulting in the vehicle overturning twice before landing on its roof.
When the news crew rushed to the scene, the burnt body was still in the smouldering wreckage.
Police were at the nearest business centre waiting for a vehicle to ferry the remains of the burnt passenger to Mutare Provincial Hospital Mortuary.
One of the first people to arrive at the scene who helped in ferrying the badly burnt people to Mutare Provincial Hospital, Mr William Mashaure, said it was a scary sight.
“The Honda Fit was hired by some locals who run a butchery at the business centre as they wanted to slaughter a beast in Burma Valley. In less than an hour, a car came speeding to the business centre and I rushed to caution the driver, thinking that he was a learner.
“One of the passengers opened the door and tried to bolt out, but we realised that he was badly burnt. He just shouted that people had perished in an accident at Chikubvu.”
Mr Mashaure together and the Hurekure brothers, Moses and Lameck, jumped into his vehicle and rushed to the scene.
“When we arrived the vehicle was on fire, but we managed to retrieve some of the passengers and rushed them to Mutare Provincial Hospital. Their condition is serious and anything can happen.
“The two children (names withheld) were badly burnt and they kept on calling out for their father who is said to be the person who was burnt beyond recognition. One of the children said she is a Grade One pupil, while the other sibling is about two-years-old,” said Mr Mashaure.
