A road accident in Swaziland has killed 38 girls and seriously injured 20 others who were on their way to a traditional ceremony where King Mswati III can choose a new wife, pro-democracy activists reported.
The accident happened on Friday night when their open truck smashed into a car on the road between the tiny kingdom's two main cities, Mbabane and Manzini, en route to the traditional Reed Dance.
"A total of 38 young girls have been pronounced dead, with more than 20 others seriously injured," Swaziland Solidarity Network spokesman Lucky Lukhele said.