13 killed in two road accidents in Zimbabwe

Harare: A total of 13 people were killed in two road accidents in Zimbabwe, the police said.

"The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirm two fatal road traffic accidents which occurred in Masvingo and Gokwe where a total of 13 people have died," police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said in a post on X late on Friday.

He said the first accident happened in the city of Masvingo in Masvingo Province at around 4:30 p.m. (local time) when a bus went off the road while the driver was negotiating a steep gradient, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Seven people died while 99 were injured in the accident," he said, adding that 65 of the injured were treated at Topora Clinic for minor injuries and discharged, while the rest who suffered serious injuries were taken to other hospitals.

The other accident, which happened just outside the town of Gokwe in Midlands Province at around 6 p.m. (local time), resulted in the deaths of six people after a car hit a pothole and then collided with a van that had nine occupants on board, Nyathi said.

"Six people died, three from each vehicle. Eight people were injured, three critically, while the other five sustained moderate injuries," he added.