By DPA
Johannesburg : Eighteen people were killed within 24 hours in two separate road accidents in South Africa, including 10 football players travelling home from a game, the SABC public broadcaster reported Monday.
The 10 players were killed and six other seriously injured Monday when the minibus in which they were travelling collided with a pick-up truck on a highway in rural Eastern Cape province.
Seven of the players died on the scene and another died soon after being admitted to hospital in the town of Mthatha, according to the SABC.
In KwaZulu-Natal province, a truck veered out of control on the motorway near the provincial capital of Pietermaritzburg, causing a three-way collision with two cars that killed a further 10 people, SAPA news agency reported.
South Africa has among the highest rates of road fatalities in the world. Over 15,000 people were killed on the roads in 2006, according to the official data.
The bad state of repair of many vehicles, reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs are among the factors contributing to the carnage.