POLICE have identified nine more people who died during Sunday’s horrific crash along the Harare-Nyamapanda Highway, bringing to 25 the number of victims who have been identified so far.
The other one is yet to be identified.
The nine are Joice Masanga (74) of Unit E, Seke; Monica Mapona (34), Belief Mapona (5) both of ZRP Tomlinson Depot, Tendai Round (4) of Glenwood Park, Harare, Agnes Sakurangaranga (29) of Katsvairo Village, Mutoko, Beauty Hungwa (26) of Epworth, Winnet Chinomona (11) of Mutoko, Sheila Charehwa (20) of Kadoma and Rutendo Katsande (24) of Epworth.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday said six survivors of the accident were still admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
On Monday, there were 13 who were admitted and seven of them were discharged yesterday.
“As the Zimbabwe Republic Police, we continue to appeal to the motoring public to exercise extreme caution on the roads, avoid speeding and the use of defective vehicles,” Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.
Meanwhile, 17 bodies were on Monday collected for burial by relatives. Most of them were taken to Mutoko.
The bodies were at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals mortuary and by yesterday only nine were still to be collected.
Mutoko East legislator Ricky Mawere yesterday said most of the victims were from his constituency.
He confirmed that the relatives had collected the bodies for burial.
Sunday’s horror crash — which claimed 26 lives and left 45 people injured — was declared a State of Disaster, paving the way for bereaved families to receive State assistance for burial of the victims.
This was disclosed by Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday.
Twenty-four of the victims died on the spot, one on the way to hospital and the other at Parirenyatwa Hospital on Monday, bringing the death toll to 26.
The affected families received a coffin, US$200 each and transport from the Government.
Mnangagwa urged road users to exercise extreme caution on the road bearing in mind that public transport should not be a danger to human lives.
The Zupco bus heading for Mutoko and the Pioneer bus travelling to Harare side-swiped along the Harare-Nyamapanda Highway on Sunday morning.