At least 27 dead & 7 injured after minibus carrying churchgoers crashes head-on with truck in horror fireball collision

AT least 27 people have been killed after a haulage truck slammed into a minibus full of churchgoers and exploded into a deadly fireball. Seven people were also injured in the horror head-on collision on Harare-Masvingo Road in Zimbabwe. The mangled wreck of the minibus after the horror crash in ZimbabweCredit: YouTube/ZBC News The tragedy unfolded at around 8:30pm on Friday as the haulage truck allegedly tried to overtake another vehicle on the road. Commissioner Nyathi said it then smashed into a Nissan Caravan combi in a “head-on collision” and burst into flames, according to local news. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Horrifying photos show the warped and mangled shell of the minibus – whose insides have been completely burned out. The taxi – a Nissan Caravan kombi – had been shuttling congregates from African Apostolic Church (Mwazha) to a religious conference. Emergency services raced to the rescue and confirmed that 23 people died on the scene. A further four people succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Police do not yet know how many people were inside each of the two vehicles. The identity of the victims have not yet been released. Most read in The Sun The names of the victims will be released as soon as the bodies are identified by their next of kin”, said Commissioner Nyathi. He appealed for the public to exercise caution on the road and observe road rules. Crowded minibuses – known locally as ‘kombi’ – are a poular means of transportation across the country. Zimbabwe has amongst the highest road crash fatality rates in Africa, according to the nation’s traffic safety agency. National statistics say that a road accident occurs every 15 minutes and that around 5 people are killed and a further 38 injured on average each day. Roads are riddled with potholes and overloading vehicles is common. In April, 18 people were killed after a minibus caught fire on a highway in southern Zimbabwe. In another incident that month a woman and her five children died after a haulage truck smashed into their car. More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us on TikTok @TheSun. Comment now