A 16-year-old girl has died and her friend was seriously injured after being hit by a commuter omnibus along Luveve Road in Bulawayo on Friday morning.
The two teenagers, both Form Three students at Sobukhazi High School were standing by the roadside near Machipisini when the incident occurred at around 07:30 .
According to police, a Toyota Hiace minibus carrying 18 passengers veered off the road and struck the girls. The driver, a 36-year-old man from Cowdray Park, was not injured.
โOne of the girls sustained fatal head injuries and died on the spot,โ said Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele. โThe other suffered fractured legs and was taken to Mpilo Hospital, where she is reported to be in a stable condition.โ
Police believe speeding may have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. He is facing a charge of culpable homicide.
Inspector Msebele urged drivers to exercise caution, obey speed limits and adhere to road traffic regulations to prevent similar tragedies.