A seven-tonne truck carrying second-hand clothes smuggled from Mozambique into Zimbabwe caught fire on Wednesday morning at the Burma Valley-Vumba Turn Off.
The driver, whose identity remains unknown, escaped unharmed at around 5 AM, leaving behind the charred remains of the truck and its contraband cargo.
The burnt-out wreckage blocked the road at Vumba Turn Off in Bvumba Valley, causing difficulties for passing vehicles.
The importation and sale of second-hand clothing, as well as street and night vending, are banned in Zimbabwe.
When announcing the prohibition last month, Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe explained that the move was intended to protect the local textile industry, promote the formalisation of the economy, and address public health risks associated with used clothing.
Despite the ban, many vendors rely on selling second-hand clothes as their primary source of income.
