At least 35 people died and 71 were injured in Zimbabwe when a bus carrying churchgoers to an Easter gathering veered off the road and landed in a gorge, the police have said.
The bus was carrying members of a local Zion Christian Church who were travelling to an Easter meeting in the southeastern town of Chipinge.
“I can confirm an accident which occurred last night. So far, the death toll is 35 and the number of injured is 71,” police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told AFP on Friday.
“Indications suggest that the bus was overloaded,” he said. Buses in Zimbabwe typically have an average capacity of 60 to 75 passengers.Road accidents are common in Zimbabwe during public holidays, when the roads are often busier. Many roads are pockmarked with crater-like potholes, which also contributes to accidents.
The bus carrying worshippers traveling to an Easter pilgrimage in mountainous eastern Zimbabwe plunged into a gorge, killing 35 people in the early hours of Friday.
The bus was overloaded with 106 passengers and veered off the winding road near Chimanimani and hurtled into a deep ravine, police said. The crash happened near the Chipinge district of Zimbabwe's eastern Manicaland province, state broadcaster ZBC reported.
The bus was carrying members of the Zion Christian Church, a local denomination known for holding regular pilgrimages attended by thousands of people.
Bus accidents are frequent in the southern African country, where some drivers overload their vehicles and exceed the speed limit. The poor condition of Zimbabwe's roads has also been blamed for contributing to crashes.
Zimbabwe's roads are particularly busy during the Easter period which is a major holiday in this largely Christian country as people em
