Thirteen people were killed and six others injured in a horror collision between two minibuses and a BMW in the Free State in the early hours of Saturday.

Spokesperson for the Free State roads and transport department Hilary Mophete said the crash had occurred at around 3am on the R26 between Fouriesburg and Bethlehem.

She said it was alleged that the driver of the BMW had lost control of the vehicle and struck one of the minibuses before colliding head-on with the other minibus which had caught fire.

“Eleven people from the second minibus and one from first minibus died. The driver of the minibus also died. Six people were injured‚” Mophete said.

The injured were ferried to hospital.

She said the two minibuses were apparently en route to Durban from Lesotho to buy business stock.