Twelve people died Friday morning when the bus they were riding towards Beitbridge, Zimbabwe’s busiest entry point, collided head-on with a haulage truck.
The crash was declared a national disaster and government pledged financial support to bereaved families for the necessary burial arrangements.
Witness reports said the fatal accident happened after the bus hit a stray donkey and swerved right into the oncoming truck.
Thirteen critically injured people were rushed to Bulawayo referral hospitals while several others with mild, varying injuries were hospitalized in Beitbridge, the Herald newspaper reported.
State Security Minister Kembo Mohadi and Local Government Minister Savior Kasukuwere visited the crash site where they announced bereaved families will get $200 apiece from the government.
The Harare-Beitbridge highway is one of the deadliest strips in Zimbabwe that claim dozens of lives every year.
Government has been criticized for not paying adequate attention to end the carnage, especially on this particular road despite it being one of the busiest and strategic.
Beitbridge town secretary Loud Ramagkapola told VOA the road needs fixing.