A tour bus in Morocco exploded after it collided head-on with a truck at the southern Moroccan city of Tan-Tan, killing at least 33 passengers most of whom were young children returning from a sports competition.

The children were aged 8 to 14, according to an official from the Regional Sports and Youth Ministry.

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Based on initial investigation, the tour bus crashed into the tanker truck that was believed to have been carrying petrol. The bus burst into flames after the collision.

"It is a horrible accident. The toll is huge. The fire broke out when the bus and the truck collided and then it spread," said social worker El Hassan Mouline. "The whole team [young athletic team on board the bus] is lost."

The bus transported the team and their coaches from a local sports competition in Bouznika, a beach resort in northern Morocco. Hassan Issengar, a famous athlete who was with the sports team, was one of the casualties.

"We were sleeping, most of us were sleeping. We heard the explosion, followed by the burning," one of the survivors narrated.

Authorities are now trying to identify the burnt bodies inside the bus as the news caused panic among parents who immediately went to the hospital in Guelmin town. Parents asked for the names of the victims.

"We have many completely carbonized bodies. Authorities have been in contact with the bus company to identify the victims," said Transportation Ministry Regional Director Benmane Fadli.

Meanwhile, King Mohamed VI expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. The king added that he will take charge of paying the burial fees as well as the hospitalization of those who were injured.

The accident is deemed by many as the worst road accident in Morocco since the September 2012 bus accident where a bus plummeted into a ravine, killing 42 of its passengers.

TagsMorocco bus, bus crash