South Africa's monthly road death toll passes 800

An overtaking car has crashed head-on into a minibus killing 19 people in South Africa, and taking the monthly road death toll to more than 800.

Police said both vehicles caught fire after they collided on a road in central Free State. Some victims were burned beyond recognition.

It appeared the car was trying to overtake another vehicle when it smashed into the bus. All four people in the car and 15 in the bus died at the scene.

The country’s Road Traffic Management Corporation said reckless overtaking was one of the main causes for the number of crash deaths.