South Africa: 20 dead in collision between bus and armored car

20 people were killed and 60 injured in a collision between a bus and an armored car, the South African government said on Tuesday.

"Twenty people were tragically killed in an accident when a cash truck lost control and collided head-on with an oncoming bus," the transport department said in a statement.

The accident occurred at around 15:00 GMT on Monday on a national road in Limpopo, a province in the far north of the country, on the border with Zimbabwe.

A team of police divers is currently searching a river below the road for "people who may have been swept away" by the waters.

The cause of the violent accident has not yet been determined but "the region has been affected by heavy rains," said AFP spokeswoman Tidimalo Chuene of the Department of Transport.

South Africa has been hit for several days by rains that have caused flooding in several provinces. At least seven people have been killed, several are missing. The government has declared a state of national disaster.

Rains are still expected to fall on the country in the middle of the southern summer for several days, according to the national weather forecasting institute, which warns of new flooding risks.

In 2022, the country experienced the worst floods in its history in the Durban region (south-east), killing more than 400 people and causing significant destruction.

South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent but is among the worst performers in terms of road safety.