( CNN ) A bus collided with a fuel tanker in southern Morocco on Friday , a fiery crash that killed at least 35 people -- most of them children -- state and local media reported . The accident caused a fire that hollowed out the bus , leaving little more than its frame . Debris scattered across the road , while smoke rose into the sky , videos posted to social media show . The dead included athletes traveling for a sporting competition , an eyewitness told 2M TV , a Moroccan state-owned network . After the crash , photos appeared on social media of young , smiling boys in soccer uniforms along with condolence messages such as `` May God have mercy on them '' and `` Oh no , they are so young . '' The crash happened near the city of Tan-Tan just before 7 a.m. , the Maghreb Arabe Presse state news agency reported . It said a number of people were also injured . Tan-Tan is near the country 's Atlantic coast , more than 450 kilometers ( about 280 miles ) southwest of Marrakesh .
Most of the victims were minors , according to reports . Condolence messages surfaced online with images of children in soccer matches . The bus collided with a fuel tanker near the southern Moroccan city of Tan - il .