Zimbabwe Orders Probe As Cessna Plane Crashes Near Zambezi Valley

Posted by Daniel Jones African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Around Africa Tuesday, October 27th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Zimbabwean authorities are investigating a case where one died while another is missing and two others injured after a small aircraft contracted to carry out an aerial wildlife survey crashed last Friday.

The aircraft, a Cessna 182 was carrying two South African wildlife experts and two Zimbabwean rangers who were doing the research around the Zambezi Valley between Chirundu and Kariba areas.

The aircraft disappeared on Friday and a search over the weekend almost yielded nothing until a pilot spotted the wreckage in the thicket of the bush in the mountains on Sunday.

The one reportedly survived the crash and walked from the scene to look for help but had not been found Monday, authorities said.

Personal identities of the five including the deceased have not been revealed.

Zimparks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said: “The aircraft had been dispatched by Zimparks to carry out an aerial survey of wildlife in the game park. We usually partner with South African experts on our wildlife management and they were on a mission to follow wildlife trackers as part of wildlife survey when the aircraft disappeared on Friday,” he said.

The condition of the injured duo was said to be bad.

After the aircraft was reported missing on Friday, a search was carried out in the mountainous area in Zambezi Valley near Chirundu border with Zambia.

The wreckage was potted in the thicket of the forest on Sunday after searching since Friday.

Zimparks usually carries annual wildlife surveys during this time of the year to update population statistics and density of animals around the country.