BULAWAYO – Two people died and 23 others were injured on Friday in a head-on collision between a Nyaradzo Funeral Services bus and a haulage truck near Mahatshula North in Bulawayo.

The driver of the haulage truck, which was carrying bricks and coming from Botswana, died at the scene. He was named as Rameek Munatsi.

The body of a female passenger from the bus was found lying between the bus and the truck, which suffered extensive front damage.

The accident, which happened at around 4PM, blocked both lanes of the Bulawayo-Harare highway for nearly two hours as the fire brigade, police and ambulance crews worked to recover the bodies and take the injured to hospital.

Over half-a-dozen ambulances, police and fire trucks attended the scene.

Twenty three people who were in the bus were taken to hospital with varying injuries.

A witness said the bus which was heading towards Bulawayo attempted an overtake before smashing into the truck driving in the Gweru direction.

Mangled metal … The Botswana registered haulage truck suffered extensive damage in the crash