Zimbabwe: 27 people killed in head-on collision
What's the story
A tragic road accident occurred in central Zimbabwe on Friday, killing at least 27 people. The accident took place near Chivhu, about 140km south of Harare. A minibus carrying churchgoers on their way to a conference collided head-on with a foreign-registered haulage truck that was overtaking another vehicle. Seven others were injured in the crash, which left the minibus mangled and charred.
Road safety
Zimbabwe notorious for deadly road accidents
The accident occurred on a flat, remote stretch of road with low vegetation and open terrain.
Zimbabwe is notorious for deadly road accidents due to years of underfunding and poor maintenance. The country's roads are often riddled with potholes and driving standards are generally poor.
Privately operated minibus taxis, known locally as kombis, are widely used but often criticized for overloading.
Accident statistics
Minibus crash on highway
This accident is one of the many deadly crashes to hit Zimbabwe this year.
In April, at least 18 people were killed when a minibus caught fire on a highway in southern Zimbabwe.
Earlier that month, a woman and her five children died after their vehicle collided with a haulage truck on another highway connecting Zimbabwe and South Africa.