Two people died and three others were injured when an ambulance crashed in Manica, in the center of the country, the spokesman for the Republic of Mozambique Police (PRM) told Lusa today.

According to the police, the road accident occurred at around 2 a.m. when the ambulance, from Manica District Hospital, was transporting a pregnant woman to another hospital, said Mateus Mindu, spokesman for the PRM in Manica.

"The ambulance crashed, hit a post and a tree and then overturned," explained Mateus Mindu, pointing to speeding as the presumed cause of the incident.

A health trainee and a patient's companion who were in the ambulance died on the spot and the three injured were transferred to Chimoio Provincial Hospital.

The rates of road accidents in Mozambique are classified as dramatic by several organizations.

The Mozambican authorities have pointed to speeding and drink-driving as the main causes of accidents. (Lusa)