World News
Head-on collision in Zimbabwe kills at least 27 churchgoers
A minibus taxi carrying members of an African Christian denomination collided with a haulage truck near Chivhu.
The short version
- At least 27 people died on Friday night after a haulage truck collided head-on with a minibus taxi south of Harare, Zimbabwe.
- The minibus was carrying members of an indigenous African Christian denomination traveling to a religious conference when the vehicle burst into flames.
- Police stated the crash occurred when the haulage truck attempted to overtake another vehicle.
- The exact number of total passengers in both vehicles remains unspecified by authorities.
Key facts
- The head-on collision occurred on Friday night around 18:30 GMT on a highway near Chivhu, south of Harare.[Al Jazeera · Associated Press]
- According to police spokesperson Paul Nyathi, the haulage truck was trying to overtake another vehicle when it struck the oncoming minibus taxi.[Al Jazeera · ABC News · Associated Press]
- State-run broadcaster ZBC News reported that 23 people died at the scene, while others succumbed to their injuries at a local hospital.[Al Jazeera · ABC News · Associated Press]
- The minibus burst into flames following the collision and was reduced to a mangled shell.[Al Jazeera · ABC News · Associated Press]
- Zimbabwean authorities attribute 94% of road accidents in the country to human error.[ABC News · Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- The total number of passengers travelling in both the haulage truck and the minibus taxi was described by police as unspecified.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Sources
- Zimbabwe minibus carrying church members crashes, killing at least 27Al Jazeera
- Zimbabwe minibus taxi carrying church members crashes, killing 27Associated Press
- Zimbabwe minibus taxi carrying church members crashes, killing 27ABC News - International