Guatemala: 32 dead after truck hits crowd gathered at road accident

At least 32 people have died after a truck struck a crowd gathered at a road accident in western Guatemala.

The group had apparently gathered on the road to inspect a person who had been killed in a separate crash when the vehicle ploughed into them, a fire service spokesman said.

"It seems that the semi-trailer did not notice the number of the people on the roadway and ran them over," Cecilio Chacaj added.

The crash killed at least 32 people, and another nine people are in a critical condition, public health minister Carlos Soto told local media.

The fate of the truck driver is not yet known.

The accident took place near the municipality of Nahula in Solola province, west of Guatemala City.

Footage posted on social media showed bodies strewn on the road, while several people cry and shout for help.