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Passengers in Zimbabwe caught in bus fire; more than 40 killed

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More than 40 killed in Zimbabwe bus fire
WATCH ABOVE: The remains of the bus could be seen Friday. WARNING: Disturbing images. Viewer discretion is advised – Nov 16, 2018

Fire swept through a passenger bus in Zimbabwe, killing more than 40 people and injuring at least 20, some of whom suffered severe burns, authorities said Friday.

A photograph posted on Twitter by the Zimbabwe Red Cross shows the remains of the bus that was completely incinerated late Thursday. The Red Cross said its teams responded to a “horrific accident” involving a bus heading to neighboring South Africa at around midnight.

“Combustible material was allowed onto the bus, thus causing a conflagration which entrapped, scalded and consumed innocent passengers,” President Emmerson Mnangagwa said in a condolence message.

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Mnangagwa said the government should “take appropriate measures which comprehensively deal with this growing menace on our roads.”

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The accident happened in Gwanda district, about 550 kilometers south of Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital.

Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba confirmed a death toll of more than 40.

Last week, a collision between two buses in Zimbabwe killed 50 people and injured about 80.

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