At least 28 people died in a collision between a passenger bus and a timber truck on the Morogoro-Dar es Salaam highway in eastern Tanzania early Friday, fire and rescue officials reported. The crash occurred near Mkambarani as the bus was traveling from Dar es Salaam to Mbeya.

Joseph Mwasabeja, acting commander of the Morogoro regional fire and rescue force, said the timber truck, which was traveling from Iringa toward Dar es Salaam, collided with the bus while attempting to overtake other vehicles. The bus subsequently caught fire and was completely destroyed.

The number of injured passengers has not yet been confirmed. Some of the wounded were taken to Morogoro Regional Referral Hospital for treatment. Hospital spokeswoman Scholastica Ndunga stated that the facility will release updated figures on casualties after receiving more information. Emergency services remain at the scene as investigations continue into the cause of the collision.