At least 17 people are believed to have died and 43 others injured last night in Zimbabwe’s Midlands province when a Proliner bus travelling to South Africa with about 60 people on board, allegedly side-swapped a haulage truck and then caught fire and burst into flames with some people trapped inside.
According to the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the 17 are believed to be among people who were burnt beyond recognition.
The ZBC, quoting police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, reported that the government has dispatched pathologists to the scene of the accident in an effort to identify the remains of the deceased.
Charamba said the exact number of dead people has not yet been determined.
The ZBC further reported that by 2:00pm Thursday there was still too much heat emanating from the bus shell, hindering the police from removing the remains of the deceased.
Police said last night the number of people who died in the accident had risen to 22.