Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has left hospital following the car crash that killed his wife.

Mr Tsvangirai was seen walking out of the hospital in the company of security guards and senior party officials from the Movement for Democratic Change.

A witness described Mr Tsvangirai's face as swollen but he appeared to be in a stable condition.

The MDC party said the car accident could have been avoided if proper security had been put in place.

MDC Secretary-General and Finance Minister Tendai Biti said police are examining whether foul play was involved. The party would conduct its own investigation, he said.

The driver of the truck, which belongs to the United States development agency, is in police custody.

Mr Biti said: "If there had been a police escort, what happened would not have happened; the authorities could have avoided this omission."

Mr Tsvangirai's wife, Susan, was killed when a truck veered into the opposite lane and slammed into their vehicle. She was thrown out of the car, which overturned and rolled three times. She was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

Mr Biti added: "Mr. Tsvangirai is stable, but he's in physical pain. The physical pain is dwarfed by the loss of his wife."

President Robert Mugabe, who visited his old rival in hospital, said on the accident and the death of Mrs Tsvangirai was a tragic blow for a nation that was celebrating a new power-sharing government.

He said: "We were celebrating this major development when the tragedy struck. It is very sad indeed."

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