27 Churchgoers Killed in Head-On Crash With Truck in Zimbabwe

At least 27 people have been killed after a minibus carrying churchgoers collided head-on with a haulage truck in central Zimbabwe, police said Saturday.

The crash occurred at about 6:30 p.m. GMT on Friday near Chivhu, approximately 140 kilometres south of the capital, Harare.

According to police, the foreign-registered truck was overtaking another vehicle when it collided with the minibus, which was transporting worshippers to a church conference.

Both vehicles were carrying an unknown number of passengers. Seven people were injured in the crash.

Footage released by Zimbabwe’s public broadcaster, ZBC, showed the minibus badly damaged and burnt out, while the truck came to rest on the opposite side of the road.

The crash occurred along a flat and remote stretch of road surrounded by low vegetation and open terrain.

Road accidents are common in Zimbabwe, where years of underfunding have contributed to deteriorating roads, while poor driving practices have also been blamed for frequent crashes.

Many Zimbabweans rely on privately operated minibus taxis, locally known as kombis, which are often criticised for overloading.

The latest crash comes months after several other deadly road accidents in the country. 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 when their vehicle collided with a haulage truck on a highway connecting Zimbabwe and South Africa.