BULAWAYO – At least two people were killed and 17 others injured on Wednesday night after a commuter omnibus ploughed into a crowd of evening commuters and street vendors at an illegal taxi rank in Bulawayo, police said. The blue Toyota ‘Baby Quantum’ which was picking up passengers at an undesignated location struck pedestrians at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Lobengula Street shortly before 9PM. Witnesses said the driver attempted to flee on foot after the vehicle came to a halt but was swiftly apprehended and arrested.
Those hit by the out-of-control vehicle had no warning as it came hurtling towards them, ramming into pushcarts, vending stalls and crashing into another commuter omnibus as people screamed and scattered. Two people died on the spot, police confirmed. A large crowd later gathered as officers removed the bodies, wrapped in red blankets.
Seventeen injured victims were rushed to hospital, some with serious injuries. Police said investigations were underway to establish the cause of the crash amid fears the death toll could rise. The tragedy is expected to reignite calls for authorities to restore order in Bulawayo’s central business district, particularly around the illegal 6th Avenue taxi rank where unregulated commuter pick-ups and street vending are rampant. The official Egodini taxi rank is located just a short distance away, but some commuter omnibus drivers reportedly prefer operating closer to the CBD in an effort to load passengers more quickly.
