JOHANNESBURG: At least 40 people, mostly foreign nationals from Zimbabwe and Malawi, were killed when a passenger bus crashed on the N1 highway near Makhado on Sunday evening, provincial authorities confirmed on Monday.

Among the victims was a 10-month-old baby girl.

The accident occurred about 90 km from the Zimbabwe border when the driver reportedly lost control, causing the bus to roll down an embankment.

The bus was traveling the roughly 1,500 km route from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) to Harare, carrying migrant workers returning home after working in South Africa.

Emergency responders transported 38 survivors to local hospitals, while rescue teams continued searching for additional victims.

Limpopo Transport Minister Violet Mathye said preliminary investigations point to driver fatigue or mechanical failure as possible causes, though formal inquiries are ongoing.

The crash underscores persistent road safety challenges in South Africa, which has one of the world’s highest road fatality rates, largely due to speeding, reckless driving, and poorly maintained vehicles.

The N1 highway, a key transport corridor connecting South Africa to neighboring countries, is frequently used by cross-border buses carrying migrant workers.

Authorities have not yet released the names of victims or identified the bus operator involved.