Twenty three people were killed and eight injured when two trucks collided on the R40 Bushbuckridge road on Wednesday, Mpumalanga police said.

Superintendent Abie Khoabane said a KFC truck lost control and collided with a smaller truck transporting workers to a nearby plantation around 6am.

Khoabane said the KFC truck was coming from Bushbuckridge and the smaller truck was travelling in the opposite direction coming from Phalaborwa.

The KFC truck driver lost control and his truck pushed the smaller one off the road.

"Both trucks rolled down into a ditch. Twenty three people were killed and eight were injured," said Khoabane.

Mpumalanga transport and roads MEC Jackson Mthembu expressed shock and sadness after visiting the eight injured at the Mapulaneng hospital.

"The province is mourning and dripping with pain as we have lost so many lives this morning. This means 23 families have lost their bread winners as people were going to work," said Mthembu.

Mthembu attended the accident scene and thereafter the hospital, accompanied by Ehlazeni district municipality mayor Khosi Mkhonto and senior staff members of the department.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation will be conducting an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Sapa