Zimbabwe minibus carrying church members crashes, killing at least 27

What the report says

At least 27 people were killed in central Zimbabwe when a minibus carrying church members collided head-on with a haulage truck, according to police cited by Al Jazeera. The crash happened on Friday evening, near Chivhu, about 140km south of Harare, and involved passengers travelling for a church conference.

Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said the truck was overtaking another vehicle when it struck the minibus taxi. Al Jazeera reported that state broadcaster ZBC News, quoting a provincial government minister, put the death toll at 23 at the scene, with additional victims dying later in hospital. The injured were taken to a local hospital, though the article did not give a separate count of survivors or the full extent of injuries.

Images shared by ZBC showed the minibus badly damaged and burned. The road where the crash occurred was described as a flat, remote stretch with sparse vegetation.

The incident adds to concern about road safety in Zimbabwe, where serious accidents have been linked in general reporting to poor road conditions, including potholes, and to the heavy use of privately run minibus taxis. Al Jazeera noted that several deadly crashes have already been reported this year, underscoring the broader transport safety challenge.