At least 42 people have died and 49 others were injured after a passenger bus transporting Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals veered off the N1 highway and tumbled down an embankment in a mountainous area of Limpopo on Sunday night, according to authorities.
Transport officials said the exact cause of the crash remains unknown, adding that a full investigation is currently underway. The bus was reportedly en route from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, though it is still unclear how many passengers were on board or what the bus’s seating capacity was.
Officials confirmed that among the victims were seven children, 18 women, and 17 men.
President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences, describing the incident as a devastating tragedy for South Africa and “our sister nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi.”
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, along with other senior officials, is expected to visit the crash scene and check on the injured survivors as investigations continue.
