Conakry, Guinea: At least 15 people died and dozens were injured in southeastern Guinea on Wednesday when a passenger bus smashed into a military truck, authorities said.

The bus overturned during the accident in Bofossou, in Macenta prefecture, some 700 kilometres (435 miles) from the capital Conakry, according to a statement from the presidency seen by AFP.

The accident ‘killed at least 15 people and injured several, according to a provisional toll’, the statement said. ‘According to initial findings, the problem was caused by speeding and a defective braking system, which caused the passenger bus to flip over.’

Kemo Pascal Dembadouno, the prefect of Macenta, told AFP the collision happened in the early morning in poor visibility as the military truck was trying to park.

‘The military truck carrying fruit from N’Zerekore (100 kilometres to the south) slowed down as it was trying to park to make space on the road,’ he said.

‘At the moment when it tried to do a small manoeuvre to park, a passenger bus sped up and smashed right into it. The bus was completely destroyed.’

Dembadouno said 15 people had been killed and 30 injured, but it was unclear whether they were civilians or from the military.