KAROI — 1978 · Murder
The Shooting Down of Air Rhodesia Flight 825
On 3 September 1978 the Air Rhodesia Vickers Viscount 'Hunyani', flying from Kariba to Salisbury (now Harare), was hit shortly after take-off by a surface-to-air missile fired by ZIPRA guerrillas. Struck in the wing, it broke apart while attempting an emergency landing in a cotton field near Karoi, killing 38 people. Of the 18 who survived the crash, 10 were killed by armed men who came to the wreckage; eight survived by hiding or because they had gone to look for water. ZIPRA leader Joshua Nkomo claimed the downing but denied the killings on the ground. It became one of the most notorious attacks of the Rhodesian Bush War.
- Date
- 1978
- Place
- Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe, Karoi, ZW
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- -16.7500, 29.4500 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 3 September 1978Hunyani was hit after take-off and crashed near Karoi.
- 3 September 1978Ten survivors were killed at the wreck.
- 4 September 1978Joshua Nkomo claimed the downing to the BBC.
- February 1979A second Air Rhodesia plane was brought down in a similar attack.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Air Rhodesia Flight 825 en.wikipedia.org ↗
- TIME — Rhodesia (1978) time.com ↗
- Wikipedia
- TIME
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.