MUTARE – Forty passengers escaped unhurt early Tuesday when a stationary Inter-Africa bus blew up in smoke along the Mutare-Masvingo road.
The incident, according to police, occurred at the 11-kilometre peg near Jubert Crushers at around 4.45AM.
The bus was headed for Mutare while coming from Marange.
The fire, police said, came after the bus reportedly began to smoke from the driver’s compartment.
“All of the 40 passengers who were on board escaped unhurt,” police said.
The incident follows the death of eight passengers who were burnt beyond recognition recently after failing to escape from a Passion Link bus which had caught fire near Gandanzara Business Centre on the Nyabadza-Gandanzara Road.
The bus was carrying 66 Anglican Church pilgrims who were returning from a Bernard Mizeki commemoration in Marondera.
Meanwhile, one person died while seven others were injured after an AVM bus which was carrying 66 passengers was hit by a train at a railway level crossing at the intersection of Paisley Road and Lyton Road, Harare on Tuesday.
The incident happened at around 4.30 in the morning.
Police urged drivers to stop at every railway level crossing and give way to any oncoming train.
