The disaster adds to Zimbabwe’s severe road safety record. The country’s national statistics agency records a road accident every 15 minutes and at least five traffic deaths each day — one of the highest road fatality rates in Africa.
A minibus taxi exploded into fire on a highway in southwest Zimbabwe on Thursday, killing approximately 18 people, police said. The vehicle caught fire on a road near Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city. Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said authorities were still working to confirm the exact death toll but that it stood at “approximately 18.”
Police did not immediately give a cause of the blaze.
Overcrowding and road risk
Minibus taxis are one of the primary modes of public transportation in Zimbabwe, and vehicles are often packed beyond their recommended capacity, including, according to police, by seating people alongside the driver.
Deadly road accidents involving public transportation are common across the country. Zimbabwe’s national statistics agency records a road accident every 15 minutes and at least five traffic deaths each day in a country of about 15 million people — one of the highest road fatality rates in Africa. Speeding is also widespread, according to the Associated Press, as drivers seek to maximize daily trips, and poorly maintained roads add to the danger.
Neighboring South Africa faces similar pressures on its minibus taxi network. A crash there in January killed 14 schoolchildren.