MARONDERA – Forensic experts and investigators have been deployed to the site of the helicopter crash in Marondera as authorities investigate the deaths of b...
MARONDERA – Forensic experts and investigators have been deployed to the site of the helicopter crash in Marondera as authorities investigate the deaths of businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife Lucy Muteke and four other people.
The helicopter crashed near Waddilove Mission in Marondera, Mashonaland East, at around 5pm on Wednesday, killing all six people on board. Police confirmed that the aircraft had six occupants, while government officials later confirmed there were no survivors.
Chivayo and Muteke were among those killed, according to the family and state media reports. The identities of the other victims are being established through the ongoing forensic process.
Senior Government officials, including Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, visited the crash site on Thursday as investigators began examining the wreckage and surrounding area.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe Director-General George Mashababe said preliminary observations indicated that fuel spilled after the helicopter struck the ground, followed by a fire.
“The helicopter has a tail with blades, and when the body of the helicopter hit the ground, it appears that there was impact and a spillage of fuel, which resulted in a fire that followed the fuel that had spilt on the ground,” Mashababe said.
Mashababe stressed that investigations were still underway and that the preliminary observations did not establish what caused the helicopter to crash.
A separate report quoting Mashababe said investigators had yet to determine the cause of the accident, with a detailed statement expected after the investigation is completed.
The crash caused a fire at the scene, making identification of the victims difficult. Police and forensic specialists have been involved in the process of identifying the remains.
The helicopter had been travelling towards Harare after Chivayo and his wife had spent time at their rural home in Gandami, according to family accounts reported by Zimbabwean media.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe is expected to continue working with other investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash, including what happened before the aircraft struck the ground.
Authorities have not announced a final cause of the accident. The preliminary observation about fuel spillage and the subsequent fire should therefore not be interpreted as an explanation for why the helicopter crashed.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials are expected to release further information once forensic and aviation investigations have progressed.
