181116 bus fire zimbabwe
A fire engine is parked near to a burnt out bus in Gwanda about 550 kilometres south of the capital Harare. Image Credit: AP

HARARE: Fire swept through a passenger bus in Zimbabwe, and police said Friday that more than 40 people died and at least 20 were injured, some with severe burns.

Police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said she did not have details about the cause of the accident on Thursday night.

A photograph posted on Twitter by the Zimbabwe Red Cross shows the remains of a bus that was completely incinerated.

The Red Cross said its teams responded to a "horrific accident" involving a bus heading to neighboring South Africa at around midnight.

The accident happened in Gwanda district, about 550 kilometers south of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital.

Last week, a collision between two buses in Zimbabwe killed 50 people and injured about 80.