Eight people were killed and six others injured after a Toyota Noah plunged into a river at Deka Bridge in Hwange District on Saturday morning.
The vehicle, carrying 14 occupants including the driver, was travelling from Deka to Hwange after an overnight church service when the accident occurred.
Police said the driver allegedly failed to negotiate the bridge, causing the vehicle to strike the side pillars before plunging into the river.
Seven bodies were retrieved from the water by the fire brigade, while the remaining occupants were rushed to hospital. One of the injured later died, raising the death toll to eight.
The deceased comprise seven women and one man. Those injured include three women, one adult male and two boys. The adult male is the driver of the vehicle.
Confirming the incident, Zimbabwe Republic Police Officer Commanding Matabeleland North Province, Commissioner Steven Kazingizi, said preliminary investigations point to speeding as the likely cause of the crash.
“According to survivors currently admitted in hospital, the driver was speeding and when he reached the bridge, he failed to negotiate it. As a result, he hit the side pillars and the vehicle plunged into the river,” said Commissioner Kazingizi.
Police have since launched investigations into the accident.
The latest tragedy comes only months after another vehicle was swept away at the same bridge earlier this year, killing the driver.
