Crash involving bus carrying athletes in Morocco kills 31

A head-on collision between a truck and a bus carrying a delegation of young athletes in southern Morocco has killed 31 people and injured nine, according to reports.

The crash took place just before sunrise at 7am in the district of Chbika, near the southern desert city of Tan-Tan, the state news agency quoted authorities as saying.

The bus hit a tanker truck which burst into flames, consuming both vehicles, according to the Le360.ma news site.

The site said the bus was carrying young athletes and officials from the ministry of youth and sports who were involved in a national sports competition.

The Les Ecos newspaper reported on its website that the bus was carrying a delegation of young athletes from the northern town of Bouznika and from Laayoune, a city further to the south in the annexed Western Sahara territory.