UN: Bus crash in Congo kills at least 37 people, injures 22

KINSHASA, Congo – A United Nations-backed radio station in Congo says at least 37 people have been killed and 22 injured in a bus crash.

Radio Okapi reported Saturday that the bus carrying 70 passengers from Zambia got a flat tire, ran into something and caught fire. The accident Friday occurred in southeast Congo in Sakania territory near the border with Zambia. It said the bus was traveling about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the Zambian village of Kitwe to Luapula province, using a dirt road that cuts through part of Congo as a shortcut.

Radio Okapi reported that Zambian rescue workers are at the scene and the injured have been evacuated to medical centers.

Many roads in Congo are unpaved and poorly maintained.