At least 42 feared dead as flames gut bus in Zimbabwe
HARARE (Reuters) - At least 42 people were feared dead after flames swept through a passenger bus driving through southern Zimbabwe towards South Africa overnight, state media said. Many of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and more than 20 survivors were taken to hospital, the Zimbabwe Red Cross said
HARARE (Reuters) - At least 42 people were feared dead after flames swept through a passenger bus driving through southern Zimbabwe towards South Africa overnight, state media said.
Many of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and more than 20 survivors were taken to hospital, the Zimbabwe Red Cross said.
Photographs showed the bus's gutted shell on the side of a road in Gwanda district, about 550km south of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.
Police said there had been a leak in a gas canister being carried on the bus, state broadcaster ZBC reported.
The force gave no immediate comment on what triggered the blaze, which erupted around midnight, Thursday into Friday, as the bus travelled from the city of Bulawayo to the South African border town of Musina.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said he was devastated by the tragedy, which took place just over a week after 50 people died when two buses collided east of the capital.
"I urge all my fellow citizens to be extra cautious on the roads - check the safety of your vehicles, slow down, put safety first," he said on Twitter.
(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Andrew Heavens)
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
also read
France, Germany to agree to NATO role against Islamic State - sources | Reuters
By Robin Emmott and John Irish | BRUSSELS/PARIS BRUSSELS/PARIS France and Germany will agree to a U.S. plan for NATO to take a bigger role in the fight against Islamic militants at a meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday, but insist the move is purely symbolic, four senior European diplomats said.The decision to allow the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to join the coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq follows weeks of pressure on the two allies, who are wary of NATO confronting Russia in Syria and of alienating Arab countries who see NATO as pushing a pro-Western agenda."NATO as an institution will join the coalition," said one senior diplomat involved in the discussions. "The question is whether this just a symbolic gesture to the United States
China's Xi says navy should become world class | Reuters
BEIJING Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for greater efforts to make the country's navy a world class one, strong in operations on, below and above the surface, as it steps up its ability to project power far from its shores.China's navy has taken an increasingly prominent role in recent months, with a rising star admiral taking command, its first aircraft carrier sailing around self-ruled Taiwan and a new aircraft carrier launched last month.With President Donald Trump promising a US shipbuilding spree and unnerving Beijing with his unpredictable approach on hot button issues including Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, China is pushing to narrow the gap with the U.S. Navy.Inspecting navy headquarters, Xi said the navy should "aim for the top ranks in the world", the Defence Ministry said in a statement about his visit."Building a strong and modern navy is an important mark of a top ranking global military," the ministry paraphrased Xi as saying.