16 die in Zimbabwe after taxi van crashes into military bus; police blame driver error

Zimbabwe taxi van crashes into bus; 16 killed

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe police say a taxi van has crashed head-on into a military bus, killing 16 people and seriously injuring three others.

Fourteen soldiers on the bus were slightly hurt in the crash late Tuesday, located about 30 miles (45 kilometers) northwest of Harare.

Police investigators blame the crash on an error by the taxi van driver. He died in the collision and had evidently tried to pass two slow-moving vehicles.

Bus crashes are common in Zimbabwe and are mainly attributed to speeding on potholed highways, poor vehicle maintenance, and shortages of spare parts and tires in the ailing economy.

At least 200 people have died in bus crashes this year.