South Africa: Bus crash kills 42 people

A bus headed to Zimbabwe veered off the road into an embankment on a mountain pass in northern South Africa, resulting in the deaths of at least 42 people, with many more left injured, reported the Associated Press on October 13^th.

The vehicle, carrying Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals – most of them travelling back to their home countries – crashed on the N1 highway near Louis Trichardt, 248 miles away from the capital, Pretoria, on Sunday at 6 pm.

According to the statements released by the Transport Ministry on the matter, 7 children, 17 men, and 18 women were killed, with 6 passengers critically injured and 31 others hospitalised with serious injuries. A child on the bus was airlifted to the hospital. The transport ministry declared that the cause of the crash had not yet been determined.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, made a statement expressing his condolences to “the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi who have lost compatriots.” Speaking further on the accident, Ramaphosa added, “This sadness is compounded by the fact that this incident has taken place during our annual transport month, where we place a special focus on the importance of safety on our roads.”

The month of October is observed to be Transport Month in South Africa. During the month, the Department of Transport displays its transport infrastructure, raises awareness, and focuses on road safety initiatives.

Images of the accident portrayed the blue bus overturned in the embankment with officials and rescuers searching for victims beneath the vehicle. The rescue operations continued until late at night on October 12th, according to the Limpopo provincial government.

In 2024, a bus crash in the same Limpopo province killed 45 people. Headed to Easter church gathering in South Africa, similar to this devastating accident, the bus was driven off a bridge into a ravine, with the sole survivor of the crash being an 8-year-old girl.

Associated Press, Maghrebi.org