Twenty-four people died, and more than thirty others were injured in a head-on collision between an Urban Connect bus and a commercial truck, 21km north of Beitbridge on Thursday morning.

Beitbridge District Medical Officer, Dr Lenos Samhere, confirmed the deaths to the Chronicle, saying 17 people died on the spot, while seven succumbed to head injuries at the hospital. He said:

We are still busy on the ground. We’ll have a better picture of the exact figures at a later stage.

Witnesses said that the bus, en route to Beitbridge, collided with a truck travelling to Chirundu, just 21 km past the Lutumba tollgate.

Beitbridge residents flocked to the local hospital, hoping to find out if their relatives were among the victims.

The Civil Protection Committee, along with the police and members of the national army, was said to be on the scene.