In a tragic development, a 33-year-old man from Bulawayo Cowdray Park suburb was crushed to death by an earth-moving machine (dozer) which he was being tested on.
Tutukani Mlotshwa died a painful death on Monday after he was run over by the dozer.
Provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the tragic incident in a statement saying;
“Police in Bulawayo received a report that on the 26th April 2021 at around 1000hrs, a fatal incident involving an earth-moving machine (Dozer) occurred in Bulawayo, where a male adult was killed.”
According to the police report, on the day of the incident, Mlotshwa was being tested on his earth-moving operating skills so that he could be employed as an earth-moving machine operator.
However, the machine suddenly stopped, as he was operating it. Mlotshwa reportedly got out of the operator’s seat and opened the engine cabinet in an effort to fix the problem
Cite reports that as he started reviving the machine and it suddenly started moving again resulting in him losing his balance.
Mlotshwa fell from the wheel where he was standing and was pulled under the machine.
The dozer then crushed him beneath its wheels and continued moving on its own.
Mlotshwa who sustained multiple body injuries was immediately ferried to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) where he was certified dead upon arrival.
His body was taken to the United Bulawayo Hospitals’ mortuary for post mortem.
Inspector Ncube said the cause of the death was due to negligence by the now deceased and the case will be investigated as sudden death.
He, however, expressed regret stating that a life was lost through an incident that was avoidable. He went on to urge members of the general public to be cautious when operating machines.
