On Monday night, tragedy struck as three crew members of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) lost their lives in an incident where a locomotive derailed and plunged into a gorge between Mutare and Machipanda.

The locomotive, responsible for hauling 14 wagons, reportedly encountered difficulty negotiating a curve, believed to be due to a suspected brake malfunction.

NRZ issued a statement on Monday confirming the occurrence, which transpired around 9pm local time.

As per protocol, the identities of the deceased individuals are being withheld until their families have been notified.

“Preliminary investigations suggest that the locomotive, which was pulling 14 wagons laden with nine export chrome concentrates and five granite blocks, may have suffered a brake failure leading to a runaway which culminated in the train failing to negotiate a sharp curve thereby falling into the gorge,” read the statement.

NRZ extended condolences to the affected families and noted ongoing investigations to ascertain the precise cause of the incident.