18 killed as minibus, truck collide in Guinea-Bissau; several critical

Bissau: Eighteen people were killed and another 14 injured in the small west African state of Guinea-Bissau late Friday when a minibus collided with a truck, police and hospital sources said.

One witness said the truck appeared to have been speeding when the driver lost control and collided head-on with the minibus near Bissauzinho, around 15 kilometres (15 miles) from the capital Bissau.

Sources said the bus had been overloaded and that at least 10 of the injured were in a serious condition.

Both drivers were killed and the minibus was totally crushed, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.

Authorities issued an appeal for blood donors after the accident, which occurred around 8:00 pm (2000 GMT).

Guinea-Bissau, which lies between Senegal and Guinea, is one of the poorest countries in the world.