At least 27 people have been killed after a minibus carrying church members collided head-on with a cargo truck in central Zimbabwe, according to police.
The accident occurred around 18:30 GMT on Friday near the town of Chivhu, about 140 kilometers south of the capital Harare. Police spokesman Paul Nyathi confirmed the information on Saturday.
Nyathi said the truck was attempting to overtake another vehicle when it hit the minibus carrying members of a popular Christian denomination in Africa who were en route to a conference.
State broadcaster ZBC News, citing a provincial official, reported that 23 people died at the scene, with the rest succumbing to injuries after being taken to a local hospital.
Video posted by ZBC on social media showed the minibus mangled and charred, while the truck lay on the opposite side of the road. The crash site was on a flat, deserted stretch of road flanked by low trees and open terrain.
This is the latest fatal accident in a series of serious road incidents in Zimbabwe, whose roads have severely deteriorated with numerous potholes due to years of underfunding and neglect.
In daily life, many Zimbabweans rely on private minibuses, commonly known as kombis, but these vehicles are often criticized for being overloaded. In April, at least 18 people died when a minibus caught fire on a highway in the country's south. Earlier that month, a woman and her five children were killed when their car collided with a cargo truck on another highway linking Zimbabwe and South Africa.
