Seventeen people lost their lives in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, when a minibus taxi and a haulage truck collided head-on, police reported. The fatal accident took place near Chitungwiza, a heavily populated area situated about 25 kilometers southeast of Harare, the nation’s capital.
Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi confirmed that all 17 victims died at the scene. The crash unfolded after the truck’s driver lost control, swerving into the oncoming lane, hitting two pedestrians on what Nyathi identified as the “island of the road” before striking the minibus head-on.
Fifteen of the minibus’s 17 occupants died instantly, with others suffering injuries and being rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. According to the state-run Herald newspaper, the minibus was completely destroyed, leaving only mangled pieces of its frame trapped beneath the truck.
The crash site was described as catastrophic, littered with twisted metal, broken glass, and scattered debris. Rescuers spent hours freeing passengers trapped in the wreckage. The collision occurred in the morning, and recovery efforts stretched into the afternoon, with bodies still being retrieved by midday.
Chitungwiza’s Mayor, Rosaria Mangoma, urged the government to designate the accident as a national disaster. She called the aftermath “one of the most disturbing and traumatic scenes” the town had ever experienced.
This tragedy highlights ongoing concerns about fatal road accidents in Zimbabwe’s public transport sector. Officials note that reckless speeding is widespread among drivers aiming to increase their daily runs, while deteriorating roads make travel even more hazardous.
A similar incident happened in February, when 24 people died in another head-on crash involving a bus and a truck near Beitbridge on the South African border. Both events underscore continuing problems with Zimbabwe’s road safety and transport infrastructure.
Zimbabwe’s national statistics agency says a road accident occurs every 15 minutes, causing at least five deaths daily. This places Zimbabwe among the African countries with the highest traffic fatality rates. The nation’s 15 million residents frequently encounter these transportation dangers during everyday travel.
Authorities are still investigating Tuesday’s accident to identify what specifically caused the truck driver to lose control. Police have yet to provide further details on the driver’s condition or other possible contributing factors beyond the initial loss of control.
Rescue and recovery operations involved emergency teams from several agencies. The severity of the accident, with badly wrecked vehicles and trapped victims, demanded significant coordination among first responders, which lasted throughout the morning and into the afternoon.