Updated

South African authorities say 27 people have died in a road collision in the eastern part of the country.

South African media say the accident happened when a truck crashed into several vehicles on Thursday evening in Pinetown, west of the coastal city of Durban. The South African Press Association quotes a medical responder as saying about 80 people were injured.

The cause is under investigation.

Cabinet minister Jeff Radebe is standing in for President Jacob Zuma while the latter attends the G20 summit in Russia. In a statement, Radebe says there have been three road collisions claiming many lives in recent days, including one that killed seven young girls returning from a traditional ceremony. He is appealing to drivers to exercise caution on the roads.