While details remain sketchy‚ the rights group Swaziland Solidarity Network‚ quoting inside sources‚ says that a total of 38 young girls were killed and more than 20 others seriously injured in a horror crash on Friday in the tiny landlocked kingdom.

It said the accident occurred on the Mbabane–Manzini highway. The girls were on their way to the Swazi king’s royal residence to cut reeds for the annual Umhlanga Reed dance.

According to the Times of Swaziland‚ they were apparently travelling in an open truck which smashed into another vehicle and was then hit in the rear by a second truck.

“We were about 50 on board the first truck that smashed into the Toyota van‚” said Siphelele Sigudla‚ 18‚ a survivor quoted by the Times of Swaziland.

SSN charged that “as expected”‚ the media and the police had been barred from reporting extensively on the accident.

It also claimed that the truck drivers were negligent and that the loss of life was avoidable and called for the traditional reed dance which is due to be held on Sunday to be cancelled with immediate effect.

Instead‚ the celebration should be turned into a prayer service to mourn the maidens who had died in the accident‚ it said.

“The least that the royal family can do at this moment is to cancel this year’s reed dance and admit its responsibility in this horrific accident by helping these families bury their children‚” the rights group said in a statement.

The Swaziland authorities could not immediately be reached for comment.