Forty-two killed in Zimbabwe bus explosion and fire
19 November 2018
A gas cylinder in the luggage compartment is thought to be the source of a deadly fire which engulfed a bus travelling from Zvishavane in Zimbabwe to the South African border town of Musina on November 16. This is the second bus disaster inside two weeks after two buses collided on November 7, killing 47 people.
Stock image
The disaster, on the Beitbridge-Bulawayo road near West Nicholson, Matabeleland South, is thought to have resulted in a death toll of 42, with another 27 people admitted to Gwanda District Hospital with burn injuries.
A police spokesperson said police would require forensic analysis of the remains to determine the number of dead, but that it would be would be “substantial”.
The high cost of gas in Zimbabwe has prompted many Zimbabweans to journey with gas cylinders to neighbouring South Africa for a refill. Zimbabweans pay five times less for a refill in South Africa than in Zimbabwe.