Zimbabwe Road Crash: 27 Killed as Minibus Carrying Church Members Collides With Truck

At least 27 people were killed in Zimbabwe after a minibus carrying church members collided head-on with a truck, according to police. Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said the Christian worshippers were travelling to attend a religious conference when the crash occurred. The accident took place on a major highway near the town of Chivhu, about 132 kilometres (82 miles) south of the capital, Harare. According to police, the truck was attempting to overtake another vehicle when it collided head-on with the minibus. Twenty-three people died at the scene, while others succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment at a local hospital. Images released by local media showed the minibus engulfed in flames after the collision and subsequently destroyed by fire. Nyathi said the number of passengers travelling in the two vehicles was not immediately clear. Zimbabwe’s Road Safety Concerns Road accidents involving crowded buses, minibuses and smaller vehicles are common in Zimbabwe. Dangerous driving and poor road conditions are considered among the major factors contributing to such crashes. Officials say Zimbabwe has one of the poorer road safety records, with human error blamed for 94 per cent of road accidents in the country. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, around 300,000 people die in road accidents across Africa every year. That figure represents nearly one-quarter of the total number of road accident deaths worldwide.