At least 21 people were killed and eight others wounded in a road crash in Malawi in the early hours of Sunday.

A truck driver lost control and rammed into a passenger bus and a third vehicle in the central Ntcheu district, according to Hastings Chigalu, a spokesperson for the district government.

Most of the casualties – 27 – are women who were on the bus that was heading to the southern Chikwawa district, he told local newspaper The Daily Times.

“The injured have been admitted to hospitals in the area. We fear that the death toll may rise further,” he said, adding that an investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident is underway.

Saulos Chilima, vice president of Malawi, extended condolences and promised support for families of the victims.

Road safety remains a persistent issue in the landlocked African country, where hundreds of lives are lost in accidents every year.

The country recorded at least 860 fatalities in road crashes last year, according to government data.

(Anadolu Agency)