27 INJURED AFTER BUS, KOMBI ACCIDENTS

MANZINI - A total of 27 passengers, including 21 hawkers, were rushed to hospital after two road traffic accidents that happened almost at the same time, but at different scenes. 

The road traffic accidents took place at around 6:10am yesterday and they involved public transport vehicles. One of the accidents involved a bus, which operates as Pho Transport. 

The bus was coming from Sigombeni and it rolled with at least 21 hawkers, who ply their trade at the Manzini Satellite Bus Rank, into Mzimnene River.

On the other hand, the other accident involved a kombi, whose driver lost control of it and it landed on its side after it veered off the road. 

This accident took place near Metropolitan Evangelical Church at Fairview. A source, who witnessed the bus accident, said when it arrived at the bus rank, it reversed towards a space where it usually parked. He said the space was on the edge of Mzimnene River. It is worth noting that Wednesdays and Thursdays are market days for hawkers in Manzini, at the Satellite Bus Rank and main bus rank.  

However, the source said when the bus was supposed to stop, it did not and as a result, it plunged into the river after rolling once with the hawkers and their goods inside.  “It landed in an upside down position,” the source said. He said when they asked the driver, who was not injured, about what happened; the source said he told them that the gear lever locked as he could not brake or engage the gears. Thereafter, the source said they called the police, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Eswatini National Fire and Emergency Services and reported the accident. 

He said they responded promptly to the call and found some of the passengers trying to get out of the bus through the windows. He said they managed to take everyone out of the bus and those who were injured (21) were rushed to hospital, where they were treated and discharged. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed both accidents. She also confirmed that 21 people, who were on board the bus, sustained injuries and they were rushed to hospital, where they were treated and discharged. Again, she said six passengers in the kombi were injured and they were also rushed to hospital, where they were treated and discharged. Further details pertaining to the kombi accident could not be confirmed at the time of going to press.

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