At least 42 people were killed when a bus crashed in a mountainous area of northern South Africa, authorities said Monday.
The accident occurred Sunday on the N1 highway near Louis Trichardt, about 400 kilometers (248 miles) north of the capital, Pretoria.
Simon Zwane, spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation, told News24 that authorities had confirmed 42 deaths, though the exact number of casualties and injuries is still being verified.
According to the provincial government, the bus veered off the road along a steep mountain pass and plunged into an embankment. Released images showed the blue bus lying overturned in the slope.
The bus, traveling from South Africa’s Eastern Cape, was reportedly carrying Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals en route to their home countries, the Limpopo provincial government said.
While the government did not immediately disclose the number of injured, several survivors were reportedly taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Source: AP