A 23-year-old woman from Mutare, Lisa Shumba, came perilously close to losing her life on Saturday, August 2, 2025, in a shocking railway incident that has sparked renewed concern over pedestrian safety near railway lines. Shumba was reportedly walking along active train tracks while wearing earphones, completely oblivious to an oncoming National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) train.
The incident occurred near a busy section of track in Mutare, and according to an official statement from the NRZ, it was only the quick thinking of the train driver—referred to as the engineman—that prevented a full-blown tragedy.
The train driver first spotted the woman strolling along the tracks and immediately sounded the locomotive’s horn multiple times. However, with her earphones in and music likely blaring, she remained unaware of the danger approaching from behind. As the train closed the distance rapidly, and with all conventional alerts failing, the driver made a split-second decision that ultimately saved her life: he threw a water bottle at her from the moving train.
The bottle landed just in front of the woman, startling her enough to turn around. That’s when she came face-to-face with the massive locomotive bearing down on her at high speed. With barely seconds to react, she leapt off the tracks, narrowly avoiding being hit head-on. Though she wasn’t completely in the clear—she was clipped by part of the train as she jumped—Shumba suffered only minor injuries, mainly bruises to her knees.
Mutare Woman Narrowly Escapes Death After Water Bottle Alert from Train Driver
She was quickly taken to a nearby medical facility where she received treatment and was later discharged. Medical staff confirmed that her injuries were not serious and she is expected to make a full recovery.
In their official statement following the incident, the NRZ praised the train driver’s presence of mind and quick response under immense pressure, calling his actions nothing short of heroic.
“A 23-year-old woman walking on the tracks putting on earphones escaped death by a whisker after a quick-thinking engineman threw a water bottle at her to alert her of an approaching train in Mutare yesterday,” the statement read.
The NRZ went on to describe the sequence of events, noting: “Lisa Shumba, startled by the water bottle which fell in front of her, turned and saw the train. The locomotive hit her as she jumped off its direct path. She suffered bruises on her knees. She was treated and discharged from hospital. The heroic act by the engineman saved her life since the earphones had prevented her from hearing the locomotive’s warning horn.”
The railway authority used the near-miss to issue a strong warning to the public about the dangers of walking along or crossing railway lines while wearing headphones or being distracted by mobile devices. “We salute the engineman and appeal to members of the public to avoid walking on railway lines, especially when putting on earphones,” the statement concluded.
The incident has since gone viral on social media, with many Zimbabweans praising the driver for his quick thinking, while others called for stronger public education campaigns around rail safety. Some have even suggested implementing more physical barriers or signage near pedestrian-prone sections of the track to prevent future accidents.
Railway safety experts say Shumba’s experience is a stark reminder of how dangerous it can be to ignore the rules around railway infrastructure. According to data from NRZ, incidents involving pedestrians on tracks have been on the rise, particularly in urban centres where railway lines run close to residential and commercial areas.
“This was a very close call,” said a transport safety analyst based in Harare. “The fact that a simple plastic water bottle was the deciding factor between life and death is incredible. But it also tells us how thin the margin of error is in such situations.”
Lisa Shumba has not yet publicly commented on the incident, but according to local reports, she is recovering at home and deeply shaken by the experience.
As the NRZ continues its investigations, authorities are urging the public to treat railway lines as dangerous zones and to remain fully alert whenever near them. For now, the story of how a water bottle—and a quick-thinking train driver—saved a young woman’s life has captured national attention and sparked an important conversation on safety and awareness in public spaces.
Source- ZimEye
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