27 killed as Zimbabwe freight train hits bus

At least 27 people were killed when a crowded bus collided with a freight train in Zimbabwe today.

The bus driver apparently did not hear the train’s siren at a rail crossing in south-western Harare, said police spokesman Andrew Phiri.

The dead were 16 men and 11 women, most believed to be market traders carrying wares during the morning rush hour to Mbare Musika, the main market in the capital.

Injured passengers were taken to Harare’s Parirenyatwa hospital, and police appealed to relatives to come forward to identify the dead and injured.

Bus accidents are common in Zimbabwe, where they are blamed on careless driving and mechanical failures due to shortages in the crumbling economy of spare parts and replacement tyres.