Thirty-five people, including women and children, were killed on Monday when two buses collided on a busy road in Ghana, officials said.

The accident, which happened in the Bono East region around 430km from the capital Accra, also left six people in critical condition.

“I can confirm that the death toll has risen to 35,” Bono East Regional Minister Kofi Amoakohene told AFP.

The minister said that 27 of the victims were “burnt beyond recognition”.

“Six of the survivors are in critical condition and are currently being monitored,” he said, adding that “one person escaped unharmed.”

The police confirmed the toll and have launched an investigation into the crash.

“What we know per preliminary investigation is that the driver of the bigger bus veered off his lane and collided head-on with the smaller one,” Francis Adjei Brobey of the Kintampo police motor traffic unit told local media.

He said the impact of the collision sparked a fire that tore through the other vehicle.

Crashes are common on highways in the West African country because of poor maintenance, disregard for traffic regulations and bad roads.

An average of six people are said to die daily on Ghana roads.

In January 34 people died in a similar crash involving two buses on a road in the centre of the country.