Harare: At least 27 people lost their lives in a tragic minibus accident in central Zimbabwe. The vehicle, transporting churchgoers, collided head-on with a truck, police reported. Additionally, seven individuals sustained injuries. According to Deutsche Welle, police spokesperson Paul Nyathi explained that the minibus was carrying members of a notable Indigenous African Christian denomination, identifiable by their white robes. The group was en route to a conference on Friday when the accident occurred on a major highway near Chivhu, approximately 140 kilometers south of Harare. The collision happened as the foreign-registered haulage truck attempted to overtake another vehicle, resulting in a devastating crash with the minibus. Footage aired by the public broadcaster ZBC depicted the aftermath, showing the minibus reduced to a charred shell. The exact number of passengers in both vehicles remains unspecified. Zimbabwe is grappling with a road safety crisis. Authorities attribute 94% of road accidents to human error. Many residents depend on kombis, or privately operated minibus taxis, for daily travel. These vehicles frequently face criticism for exceeding passenger limits. The nation's roads suffer from significant neglect, with potholes prevalent due to years of underfunding, and driving standards are often subpar. In a similar incident in April, 18 individuals perished when a minibus ignited on a highway in southern Zimbabwe. Another tragic event earlier that month involved a woman and her five children, who died in a collision with a haulage truck on a highway connecting Zimbabwe with South Africa. Across Africa, road crashes claim about 300,000 lives annually, representing roughly a quarter of the global road death toll, as reported by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Despite Africa's population making up only about 3% of the world's vehicle fleet, the continent experiences the highest road fatality rate globally.