south Africa Bus Crash Claims At Least 42 Lives
MAKHADO, South Africa – A bus traveling from gqeberha, South Africa, to Zimbabwe and Malawi crashed in the mountainous Limpopo province on Sunday evening, resulting in the deaths of at least 42 people. The vehicle veered off the N1 highway near Makhado, tumbling down an embankment and landing upside down.
Emergency responders worked through the night to extract victims from the wreckage and transport over 30 injured passengers to nearby hospitals. Authorities indicated that some individuals may still be trapped within the bus.
Among the deceased are 18 women, 17 men, and seven children, including a 10-month-old baby, according to Violet mathy, a transport official for the Limpopo province, who shared the details with Newzroom Africa.
The N1 highway, a major route connecting South Africa to Zimbabwe, remains closed in both directions as rescue operations continue. Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba visited the crash site and met with survivors in hospital, stating, “Losing so many lives in one incident is painful beyond words,” and extending condolences to families in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and malawi.
an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash, with initial assessments focusing on potential factors such as driver fatigue or mechanical failure.The provincial government is offering counseling services to survivors and coordinating with Zimbabwean and Malawian diplomatic missions to support bereaved families.
South Africa experiences a high number of road fatalities annually, and long-distance buses carrying migrant workers are frequently involved in serious accidents on the region’s highways.
