The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has provided additional information regarding the Rio Zim plane crash in Zvemahande, Mashava, Masvingo province.
According to police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the crash resulted in the death of six individuals. In a statement seen by Pindula News, Nyathi said police will release further details as they become available. Read the statement:
The Zimbabwe Republic Police reports a plane crush which occurred on the 29th September 2023 between 0730 hours and 0800 hours where six people are confirmed dead.
The Murowa Diamond Company (RioZim) owned white and red Zcam aircraft had left Harare for the mine at 0600 hours and crushed about six kilometres from Mashava. The victims are two Zimbabweans and four foreign nationals.
More information will be released in due course.
Preliminary results from the investigation suggest that the plane had a mechanical fault.
A source correspondent visited the crash site and described it as a gruesome scene with scattered body parts and debris. The correspondent said due to the extensive damage, it was difficult to determine the exact number of passengers onboard.
Locals reported hearing a loud sound and witnessing the plane circling before it tragically fell from the sky. The aftermath was disturbing, with body parts hanging from branches and chunks of flesh on the ground. Based on the discovery of seven pairs of shoes, it was estimated that seven individuals had died in the crash.
A CID officer at the scene said the area’s network would remain down until Civil Aviation authorities arrived. The weather conditions at the crash site were unclear, but it was misty and foggy in the Masvingo area.
The Rio Zim plane was en route from Harare to Murowa Diamonds when the incident happened, potentially due to a mechanical fault. Rio Zim is a prominent mining company in Zimbabwe involved in extracting gold, diamonds, and chrome.
Source Pindulanews
