This is a LIVE blog tracking developments after a tanker carrying 44 000 litres of petrol overturned along the Bulawayo–Harare Road at the 15km peg from the City of Kings on Sunday afternoon. This has forced the closure of the road and placing nearby residents of Mahatshula suburb on high alert due to the danger posed by overhead high-voltage power lines. Emergency services and Government officials are on the ground as authorities work to contain the situation.
Zimpapers Senior Reporter Sikhumbuzo Moyo is on the scene to give live updates. Sunday January 25, 2026 afternoon: A petrol tanker carrying 40 000 litres of fuel overturned near Mahatshula Bridge, 15km along the Bulawayo–Harare Road. Driver: Extricated from the wreckage and taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals.
He is in shock with minor scratches. Emergency response: Firefighters, ambulance crews, Zimbabwe Republic Police, EMA, and ZERA rushed to the scene. Road closure: Authorities closed the road one kilometre on both sides of the crash.
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Motorists are diverted through Mahatshula suburb. Power line danger: High-voltage power lines from Hwange Power Station hover over the site. Officials are considering shutting them down temporarily to reduce explosion risk.
Safety alerts: Nearby residents and commuters are urged to keep a safe distance. Petrol fumes combined with live power lines pose serious hazards. Cause of the tanker accident is under investigation.
Timeline for reopening the road is yet to be confirmed. Full assessment of power line and road damage is ongoing. Day two of the petrol tanker crash along the Bulawayo–Harare Road sees authorities maintaining a heavy presence at the scene as preparations continue for the risky decanting operation. Officials are led by Mrs Tsvagai Fikile Marovatsanga, Director for Bulawayo Metropolitan in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and chairperson of the city’s Civil Protection Committee, along with her deputy, and Officer Commanding Bulawayo Province, Commissioner Jasper Chizema.
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