Train collides with school bus in Mutare, injuring 12 children

ZIMSPHERE 

MUTARE – Twelve schoolchildren from Versatile College were injured on Wednesday morning when their school bus was struck by a goods train at the Wilton Level Crossing in Mutare's Willowton industrial area. 

The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) confirmed the accident, attributing it to the bus driver's failure to adhere to level crossing safety protocols.

"A bus carrying schoolchildren was hit by a train at the Wilton Level Crossing in Mutare this morning. Twelve pupils were injured and taken to hospital where they are receiving treatment. Our prayers are with them as they get on the road to recovery," the NRZ stated. 

"Preliminary investigations indicate the bus driver failed to follow level crossing rules and tried to beat the train to the level crossing, resulting in the accident." 

The NRZ emphasized the incident as a "stark reminder to all drivers to exercise extreme caution and strictly adhere to road rules at level crossings."

This accident follows a similar incident just over a week ago in Workington, Harare, where an AVM bus carrying 66 passengers collided with a train at a railway-level crossing, resulting in one fatality and seven injuries. 

That incident occurred on June 25, 2024, at the intersection of Paisley Road and Lyton Road around 4:30 AM, and police reported that the bus driver failed to stop at the railway crossing.