CHINHOYI
–
An
unidentified
man
was
fatally
run
over
by
a
train
at
Chinhoyi
Railway
Station
on
Thursday,
a
fourth
such
separate
incident
inside
a
month,
the
National
Railways
of
Zimbabwe
(NRZ)
said.
NRZ
said
the
incident
occurred
at
around
4:06
PM.
The
man,
who
had
no
identity
documents
on
him,
died
on
the
spot.
Police
are
working
to
establish
his
identity.
Eye
witness
reports
said
the
man
was
wearing
headphones
at
the
time
of
the
incident,
and
may
not
have
heard
the
approaching
train.
In
a
brief
statement,
the
NRZ
urged
members
of
the
public
to
be
alert
and
cautious
when
walking
near
railway
lines.
“We
appeal
to
members
of
the
public
to
be
vigilant
while
walking
close
to
railway
tracks
to
avoid
such
incidents,”
the
parastatal
said.
The
Chinhoyi
fatality
comes
just
days
after
three
men
were
killed
in
separate
train
accidents
in
Bulawayo,
Mutare
and
Zvishavane.
A
Bulawayo
man
reportedly
listening
to
music
through
earphones
was
fatally
struck
by
a
locomotive
near
the
city’s
main
railway
station
at
around
12:55PM
on
July
1.
Earlier
that
same
day,
a
train
crew
reported
running
over
a
man
lying
unresponsive
on
the
tracks
at
Odzi
Siding
near
Mutare.
In
Zvishavane,
Peter
Vengesayi
of
Village
1,
Zeederburg
under
Chief
Mafala,
died
after
being
run-over
by
a
train
while
lying
on
the
tracks
on
June
20.
The
NRZ
has
also
raised
the
alarm
over
motorists
failing
to
give
way
and
causing
accidents.
Some
residents,
particularly
in
high-density
areas,
are
known
to
use
rail
tracks
as
shortcuts
or
for
physical
exercise,
sometimes
oblivious
to
the
risks
posed
by
approaching
trains.
NRZ
officials
say
they
are
stepping
up
community
outreach
and
rail
safety
campaigns
together
with
the
Zimbabwe
Republic
Police
and
Traffic
Safety
Council
of
Zimbabwe
to
curb
the
growing
number
of
preventable
deaths.