A minibus carrying church members to a religious conference collided head-on with a haulage truck in central Zimbabwe, killing 27 people and injuring seven others, police said Saturday.
The crash occurred Friday evening along the Harare-Masvingo Highway near Chivhu, about 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of the capital, Harare, according to police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi.
The truck, which was registered outside Zimbabwe, was overtaking another vehicle when it collided with the minibus, police said. Both vehicles were carrying an unspecified number of passengers.
The minibus caught fire after the collision and was reduced to a charred shell. Images and video circulated by Zimbabwean media showed the wreckage scattered across the highway, with the truck coming to rest on the opposite side of the road.
Police initially reported a lower death toll before confirming that 27 people had died. Seven others were injured and taken for medical treatment, while the bodies of those killed were reportedly taken to the mortuary at Chivhu Hospital.
