At least 27 people have been killed in a road crash in central Zimbabwe after a minibus carrying churchgoers collided head-on with a truck near Chivhu, south of the capital, Harare.
The fatal accident occurred on Friday evening when a foreign-registered haulage truck reportedly collided with the minibus while overtaking another vehicle.
The minibus was carrying churchgoers travelling to a conference. Police said both vehicles had an “unknown” number of passengers at the time of the collision.
Seven people were injured in the crash, according to authorities.
Footage shared by Zimbabwe’s public broadcaster, ZBC, showed the minibus badly wrecked and reduced to a charred shell, while the truck came to a stop on the opposite side of the road.
Road accidents are relatively common in Zimbabwe, with poor road conditions and unsafe driving practices frequently cited as contributing factors.
Privately operated minibus taxis, popularly known as kombis, are widely used for everyday transportation across the country. However, they have often faced criticism over overloading and other road-safety concerns.
The latest tragedy comes two years after another deadly crash in Zimbabwe. In August 2024, 30 people were killed and 36 others injured when a bus collided with a commuter minibus on the major road linking Harare and Bulawayo.
