SOUTH AFRICA: Makhado Midnight Horror Bus Crash: 10 Dead Passengers Are Zimbabwe Nationals
Makhado – Details of the midnight horror bus crash in Limpopo that killed 10 people have begun to emerge.
The bus had crossed into South Africa from Zimbabwe and was headed for Johannesburg when tragedy struck.
Reports suggest the bus crashed over a traffic circle and overturned at 3 Miles, along the N1 in Makhado, Limpopo.
Other injured passengers were taken to various hospitals in Limpopo. LimpopoTransport and Community Safety MEC Violet Mathye said she, “learned with sadness” about the deaths of 10 passengers.
Three persons were seriously injured and 20 others sustained slight injuries.
Twenty-two passengers survived the crash unscathed.
“The bus was en-route to Johannesburg from Zimbabwe, when the accident happened just before midnight, on the evening of Tuesday, 27 August 2024,” the MEC said.
“The bus driver is reportedly new in his job, and not familiar with the surroundings.
“The scene has been cleared, and the injured passengers have been taken to various hospitals in Makhado.”
MEC Mathye sent messages of condolences to the families of the deceased.
She urged motorists to be alert and drive with caution, at all times.
Limpopo Transport spokesperson, Phuthi Lekganyane, said preliminary investigation revealed the five men and five women who died on the scene were all Zimbabweans.
“According to the preliminary report, the bus driver may be unfamiliar with the road and is about a month in the employment. He drove over a roundabout,” Lekganyane said.
MEC Mathye is expected to be among the government officials who will visit hospitalised survivors.
Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa will visit the crash site accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the Road Traffic Management Corporation.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy, and Deputy Minister Hlengwa, have expressed their “sincere and heartfelt condolences and message of speedy recovery to the bereaved families of those who lost their loved ones and those who have been hospitalised”.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation is investigating the cause of the accident working together with Provincial Traffic Authorities.
