At least 42 people have died after a bus carrying Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals plunged off the N1 highway near Makhado (formerly Louis Trichardt) in South Africa’s Limpopo Province on Sunday afternoon.
The long-distance bus, which was travelling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape to Harare veered off the road near Ingwe Lodge in Musina resulting in one of the deadliest accidents in the province in recent years.
The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety confirmed the nationalities of the deceased, saying they were on their way home for the holidays. Provincial MEC Violet Mathye expressed her condolences to the affected families.
“Let me pass my condolences to the two countries that have lost loved ones — Zimbabwe and Malawi,” she said.
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According to Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesperson Simon Zwane, 42 fatalities have been confirmed though verification of identities is still underway.
The victims include 18 adult women, 17 adult men, and seven children.
More than 30 passengers were injured and rushed to nearby hospitals.
MEC Mathye initially reported 38 injuries but later confirmed that a 10-month-old baby died in hospital, adding to the death toll.
Emergency workers, police, and traffic officers worked through the night to recover bodies and rescue survivors from the twisted wreckage.
Mathye said some passengers were believed to have been trapped under the debris for several hours.
“There was no other vehicle involved. I am sure the bus lost control. It could be driver fatigue or a mechanical fault — we will only know once the final report is completed,” she explained.
The N1 freeway was closed in both directions following the accident, causing major traffic disruptions.
Images from the scene shared on social media showed a trail of devastation, with emergency medical teams attending to the injured and retrieving bodies from the crash site.
The ill-fated bus was scheduled to continue its journey from Harare to Malawi, covering more than 2,100 kilometres in total.
South African authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.
