KIKWIT, DR CONGO (AFP) - Thirty-three people died in a horrific collision between a fuel truck and a crowded bus in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the weekend, police said on Monday (Aug 2).

       The victims were engulfed by a "huge fire sparked by the collision" overnight on Saturday in the west of the country, local police captain Antoine Pululu told AFP.

       Another police source said the bodies were destroyed by the flames, adding that the remains that were recovered were buried "respectfully" in the village of Kibuba on Monday.

       The inferno occurred near Kibuba along national route one between Kinshasa and Kikwit around 180 kilometres from the capital Kinshasa.

       Deadly road accidents are frequent in DR Congo, where the roads are full of old vehicles which often do not comply with safety norms.

       In addition, the roads are often in a bad state of disrepair, the drivers are not properly trained and some drink and drive.

       The last major oil tanker accident in the country killed 53 people along another main road between Kinshasa and the western sea port of Matadi in October 2018.

       In 2010, at least 230 people were burnt to death when a tanker truck overturned.

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