DAMASCUS — At least 32 people died Saturday after a fuel tanker crashed into two buses and several other vehicles on a road connecting the Syrian capital to Homs province, state media reported.

A break failure caused the tanker to crash into 15 vehicles and two large busses carrying several Iraqi passengers, said Interior Minister Mohammad Khaled Al-Rahmoun, while inspecting the site of the accident outside Damascus.

Another 77 people were injured in the accident, he added, in comments carried by SANA.

Footage aired on state media showed rescue teams deployed around the mangled remains of two cars.

SANA released photos of a passenger bus with one end blown off.

Victims of the crash are believed to include Iraqi pilgrims visiting Shiite shrines near the capital.

Holy sites in Syria continue to be popular among Shiite pilgrims from across the region, despite an eight-year war that has displaced millions. — AFP