Bus crash in South African mountains kills at least 42
The bus, travelling from the Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe and Malawi, tumbled down a steep embankment.
Published On 13 Oct 2025
A bus has crashed in a mountainous region in the north of South Africa, killing at least 42 people.
The vehicle veered off a steep mountain road on the N1 highway near the town of Makhado in Limpopo province on Sunday evening, before tumbling down an embankment and landing upside down.
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The vehicle was travelling from Gqeberha in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province to Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Emergency crews worked through the night to pull victims from the wreckage and transport survivors to nearby hospitals.
More than 30 injured passengers received medical treatment. Authorities said some people may still be trapped inside the overturned bus.
According to public broadcaster SABC, the dead included 18 women, 17 men and seven children.
A 10-month-old baby was among the victims, Violet Mathy, a transport official for the Limpopo province, told Newzroom Afrika.
The road, a major highway connecting South Africa to Zimbabwe, remained closed in both directions on Monday as rescue operations continued.
Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba visited the crash site before meeting survivors in hospital.
“Losing so many lives in one incident is painful beyond words,” she said, offering condolences to families in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
Authorities are investigating what caused the driver to lose control, with initial assessments pointing to possible fatigue or mechanical failure as potential factors.
The provincial government is providing counselling support to survivors while working with diplomatic missions from Zimbabwe and Malawi to assist bereaved families.
South Africa’s roads are among the most dangerous in the world, with thousands of people dying in crashes each year.
Long-distance buses carrying migrant workers between countries in Southern Africa are frequently involved in serious accidents on the region’s highways.
