BY NYONI TATENDA K
HARARE, April 23, 2026 — A routine morning shift turned into a scene of horror in Harare’s industrial suburb of Workington yesterday, as three men were killed when a three-tonne crate of glass panels collapsed during an offloading operation.
The fatal accident occurred on Wednesday morning at a local company premises. A team of eight workers was in the process of unloading a heavy consignment from a truck when one of the massive crates slipped from its moorings, instantly crushing three employees beneath its weight.
”It Happened Without Warning”
Surviving workers described a morning of routine labor that shattered in seconds. Mr. Tanaka Chagonda, who witnessed the collapse, noted that there was no time to react.
”We were offloading a crate of glass panels from the truck when one of the crates slipped and crushed three of our colleagues. It was very frightening,” he said, still visibly shaken by the event.
For others, the trauma is deeply personal. Mr. Aleck Muzozo narrowly escaped the same fate, surviving with only a graze to his face. However, the relief of survival was eclipsed by grief.
”I was working exactly where the three men died, but I managed to duck,” Muzozo said. “I thank God I survived, but I am not okay—one of the deceased is my brother.”
A Lapse in Communication
Preliminary accounts suggest the tragedy may have been preventable. Mr. Question Muringwa, the crane operator on duty, pointed toward a technical and communicative failure during the lift.
”I think there was a miscommunication,” Muringwa explained. “A safety belt was not secured where it should have been. By the time I heard the screams and tried to lift the crate, it was already too late.”
The City of Harare Fire Brigade arrived swiftly at the scene, managing the difficult task of lifting the three-tonne crate to recover the bodies. Police cordoned off the area, which was reportedly strewn with shattered glass and debris from the impact.
Calls for Stricter Workplace Safety
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local industrial community, sparking urgent calls for a review of occupational health and safety (OHS) standards.
Current toll of the accident:
- Deceased: 3 workers (Names withheld pending family notification).
- Injured: 1 worker (Currently receiving hospital treatment).
- Uninjured: 4 workers (Reporting severe psychological trauma).
”One moment we were working, and the next we heard screams,” said Mr. Phineas Hlanganisa, another survivor. “This is our job, but it should not end like this.”
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the company’s handling procedures. The tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the high stakes involved in industrial logistics and the catastrophic consequences of a single unsecured safety belt.
