A tragic bus accident in northern South Africa left at least 42 people dead and around 49 injured after the vehicle veered off the N1 highway near Louis Trichardt and plunged down a steep mountainside. The crash occurred around 6 p.m. while the bus carried passengers from Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Among those killed were seven children, 17 men, and 18 women. Six victims suffered critical injuries, and many of the seriously wounded were taken to nearby hospitals; one critically injured child was air lifted for treatment.
Rescue operations extended late into the night, as teams worked to reach survivors and recover the deceased from the wreckage. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and authorities are investigating.
President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and to the governments of Zimbabwe and Malawi. The tragedy comes during South Africa’s annual “Transport Month,” a time aimed at raising awareness about road safety.