LUSAKA —
The crash victims riding in a truck heading for Nsumbu, 780 kilometers north of the capital Lusaka, for a church conference.
"Seventeen people died on the spot while six others died upon reaching Nsumbu clinic," police spokesman Rae Hamoonga said in a statement, adding 27 others were injured.
Police blamed the driver for excessive speed saying he failed to negotiate a curve and lost control of the truck which eventually overturned.
Deadly traffic accidents are common in Zambia due to the poor state of the roads and bad driving.