More than 100 people were on board the bus travelling to the capital, Kinshasa when its brakes failed, passenger says.

At least 30 people died early on Sunday when a packed bus came off the road on a highway west of the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kinshasa, and burst into flames, according to the Red Cross.

“The current toll is 30 dead, 18 others have third-degree burns,” Red Cross spokesman David Nsiala told AFP news agency.

“We are continuing the work of identifying the bodies,” added Nsiala, who runs the Red Cross in Mbanzea-Ngungu territory southwest of Kinshasa.

The bus, carrying people and goods, was travelling from Lufu to Kinshasa when the brakes failed, he said.

An injured passenger who gave her name as Nacha said more than 100 people had been in the vehicle at the time, and many bodies were burned beyond recognition.

Mbanza-Ngungu is located about 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Kinshasa on Highway 1, a road with a notorious reputation for deadly accidents.