A bus carrying passengers from South Africa to Zimbabwe and Malawi veered off a steep mountain highway and crashed down an embankment, killing 42 people and injuring 49 others in one of the country’s deadliest road accidents this year.
The crash occurred around 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 12, 2025, on the N1 highway near Louis Trichardt in South Africa’s Limpopo province, approximately 248 miles north of the capital, Pretoria. The blue bus was traveling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape province when it lost control on the mountainous pass and plunged into the embankment, landing upside down.
Among the fatalities were seven children, 18 women, and 17 men, according to the Transport Ministry. The passengers were primarily Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals returning to their home countries.
Of the 49 injured passengers, six sustained critical injuries while 31 suffered serious injuries. One critically injured child was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment. The remaining injured passengers were transported to various medical facilities in Louis Trichardt and surrounding areas.
Emergency responders worked through Sunday night conducting rescue operations at the crash site. Images released by authorities showed the overturned vehicle with rescue teams searching underneath the wreckage for survivors and victims.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy confirmed the death toll, while the Road Traffic Management Corporation announced it was conducting a full scene reconstruction and mechanical investigation of the vehicle. The exact cause of the accident remains under investigation, with authorities working to determine what led to the bus losing control on the mountain pass.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed condolences to the affected nations, describing the incident as a tragedy for South Africa and its sister states of Zimbabwe and Malawi. Ramaphosa noted that the timing was particularly poignant as it occurred during the country’s annual Transport Month, when special focus is placed on road safety.
Limpopo provincial government head Phophi Ramathuba planned to visit the crash site and extended condolences to the victims’ families. She characterized the loss of so many lives in a single incident as indescribable and heartbreaking.
The crash highlighted ongoing road safety challenges in South Africa, particularly on mountainous routes frequently traveled by buses carrying passengers between neighboring countries. Last year, a similar incident in the same Limpopo province resulted in 45 deaths when a bus carrying mainly Botswana nationals veered off a bridge into a ravine. An 8-year-old girl was the sole survivor of that Easter weekend crash.
Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesperson Simon Zwane indicated that investigations would continue to determine the precise circumstances that led to the bus overturning and falling down the embankment. The corporation emphasized that both local law enforcement and traffic management authorities were collaborating on the comprehensive investigation.
The N1 highway serves as a major transportation corridor connecting South Africa with neighboring countries, with regular bus services transporting migrant workers and their families between nations. The mountainous terrain in Limpopo province presents particular challenges for heavy vehicles navigating steep grades and winding roads.
Emergency services from multiple agencies responded to the scene, working to extract passengers from the wreckage and provide immediate medical care. The complexity of the rescue operation, with the bus landing upside down in difficult terrain, required specialized equipment and coordinated efforts from various emergency response teams.
The incident represents one of the most severe road accidents in South Africa this year, underscoring the risks faced by passengers on long-distance bus routes through challenging geographical areas. Authorities have not yet released information about the bus operator or the specific mechanical condition of the vehicle prior to the crash.
