Head on crash between 2 buses kills at least 47 in Zimbabwe

HARARE, Zimbabwe — A head-on collision between two buses has killed 47 people near Rusape, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of the capital Harare, where road accidents are common due to poor roads and bad driving.

Two long distance buses going opposite directions collided on Wednesday evening, said police spokesman Paul Nyathi. He said the death toll could rise because there are others with serious injuries.

The state-run Herald newspaper reported that the number of dead bodies have overwhelmed the small town’s morgue, which can only accommodate up to 16 bodies.

Bus accidents are frequent in this southern African country, where speeding often means more money for bus crews that compete for customers and try to make as many trips as possible per day.

The road where the accident happened was recently resurfaced as part of government attempts at rehabilitating collapsing road infrastructure. /kga