Tragedy struck in South Africa’s Limpopo province on Sunday when a passenger bus travelling to Zimbabwe plunged down an embankment, killing at least 40 people, including citizens of Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Provincial transport minister, Violet Mathye, confirmed the incident on Monday, revealing that the crash occurred about 90 kilometres from the Zimbabwean border after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
“They are still working on the scene, but 40 bodies have already been confirmed to date,” Mathye told Newzroom Afrika. She added that the casualties included a 10-month-old baby girl.
According to reports, 38 other passengers were taken to nearby hospitals with varying degrees of injury, while rescue workers continued searching for more victims trapped at the crash site.
The ill-fated bus had departed from the southern city of Gqeberha, some 1,500 kilometres away, and was transporting Malawian and Zimbabwean nationals who had been working in South Africa.
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Preliminary findings suggest that driver fatigue or a possible mechanical fault might have caused the accident.
South Africa records one of the highest rates of road fatalities in the world, with authorities frequently citing speeding, reckless driving, and poorly maintained vehicles as major contributing factors.
Investigations into the cause of Sunday’s deadly crash are ongoing.