HARARE, Zimbabwe — A minibus taxi in southwest Zimbabwe caught fire on a highway Thursday, killing about a dozen and a half people, police said.

Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said that authorities were still trying to verify the exact number of victims, but that it was “approximately 18.”

The vehicle “exploded into fire” on a highway near the second biggest city of Bulawayo in the southwest of the country, police said in a separate statement. They didn’t immediately give a cause of the fire.

Minibus taxis are a popular method of public transport in the southern African nation and are often packed beyond their recommended capacity.