Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ In South Africa’s deadliest road crash this year, a passenger bus veered off the N1 road and plunged down a hill along Louis Trichardt, in northern Limpopo province. The accident on Sunday evening, which occurred at about 6 p.m., claimed at least 42 lives and injured 49 passengers, reports the Transport Ministry.
The bus, bound for Zimbabwe, carried both Malawians and Zimbabweans who were returning home. Rescue workers worked day and night to pull survivors from the wreckage as photos released by officials showed the crushed blue bus upended in a gorge. Rescuers were said to be employing machinery to reach stranded passengers in the mangled remains of the vehicle.
Authorities reported that the victims included seven children, 17 men, and 18 women. Six of the injured were reportedly listed as being in critical condition, and 31 had suffered serious injuries. One child who was critically injured was airlifted to hospital for urgent medical attention, authorities reported. Survivors were taken to several hospitals throughout the Limpopo province for emergency care.
The cause of the accident remains a mystery. Early accounts suggest that the bus may have veered off the bend of the mountain road, which for years has been notorious for the hazardous road surface. The provincial government of Limpopo said rescue activities are finished, but officials will keep searching the site and questioning survivors to determine how the events were set in motion that culminated in the crash.
In a statement issued on Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his “deep condolences to the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi that have lost citizens in this horrific accident.” He added, “This is made worse by the fact that this has occurred during Transport Month, when we are prioritizing road safety and safe driving across the country.”
This tragedy brought to mind a similar accident in Limpopo last year when 45 people were killed after a bus fell off a bridge into a ravine. The only survivor from the previous accident was an eight-year-old girl. Most of the victims were citizens of Botswana who were on their way to an Easter church meeting in South Africa.
The Transport Ministry has urged all drivers to be more vigilant on the country’s mountainous roads, particularly during the travel-demanding and festive months. The officials explained that making sure road safety and driver awareness, as well as proper maintenance of vehicles, are still essential to keeping more lives from being lost on South African roads.
