UPDATE | Limpopo bus crash death toll at 42, with 49 injured

• A bus crash in Limpopo has claimed 42 passengers’ lives and has left 49 people injured.
• The passengers were travelling from the Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe and Malawi.
• The bus is believed to have veered off the road along a steep mountain pass and plunged down an embankment.

A bus has crashed in Limpopo, claiming the lives of 42 passengers who were travelling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe and Malawi. Another 49 have been injured.

Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson Simon Zwane confirmed the 42 deaths.

Of those, seven were children, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said.

Of the 49 injured, six are critically injured, 31 are seriously injured, and 12 are slightly injured, she said.

“The injured persons have been transported to Louis Trichardt [Memorial], Siloam and Elim Hospitals. A critically injured child was airlifted to Tshilidzini hospital,” Creecy said.

“The RTMC, together with the local law enforcement authorities are conducting a full scene reconstruction and mechanical investigation of the vehicle. A preliminary report will be concluded in due course.”

The provincial transport department’s Matome Moremi Taueatsoala said the N1 near Ingwe Lodge was closed because the scene had not been cleared.

Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba’s spokesperson, Thilivhali Muavha, said the accident happened on a mountainous section of the road.

“According to preliminary reports, the bus is believed to have been transporting passengers from Zimbabwe and Malawi who were travelling from the Eastern Cape to their home countries, when it veered off the road along a steep mountain pass and plunged down an embankment,” she said.

The premier is expected to visit the site on Monday morning, with Creecy visiting later in the day.

Ramathuba said: “This is a heartbreaking tragedy. Losing so many lives in one incident is painful beyond words. On behalf of the Limpopo provincial government, we extend our deepest condolences to the affected families, including those in Zimbabwe and Malawi. We wish a full and speedy recovery to all survivors. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.”

Following the accident, President Cyril Ramaphosa has offered his condolences to the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi.

“This incident is a tragedy for South Africa and our sister states of Zimbabwe and Malawi alike. 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,” said Ramaphosa.

“Our roads are also economic networks that bring the people of our region together across our national borders. We must do everything we can as road users, as transport operators, drivers and passengers to ensure that we stay safe and that we share our roads responsibly and with care for one another.”