At least 42 people have died after a bus plunged down a steep embankment in northern South Africa, authorities confirmed on Monday.

The long-distance coach, travelling from Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape to Zimbabwe and Malawi, veered off a winding section of the N1 highway near the town of Makhado in Limpopo province on Sunday evening. The vehicle tumbled into a ravine and came to rest upside down.

Emergency workers laboured through the night to rescue survivors and recover bodies from the wreckage. More than 30 passengers were injured and taken to local hospitals. Officials warned that the death toll could rise as some people may still be trapped inside the bus.

According to South Africa’s public broadcaster SABC, the victims included 18 women, 17 men and seven children. Among the dead was a 10-month-old baby, provincial transport official Violet Mathy told Newzroom Afrika.

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‘Painful beyond words’

The N1, one of southern Africa’s busiest transport corridors linking South Africa to Zimbabwe, remained closed in both directions on Monday as recovery operations continued.

Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba visited the crash site before meeting survivors in hospital.

“Losing so many lives in one incident is painful beyond words,” she said, extending condolences to families in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash. Early reports suggest the driver may have lost control due to fatigue or mechanical failure.

The provincial government said it is providing counselling to survivors and working with Zimbabwean and Malawian diplomatic missions to assist the victims’ families.

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Dangerous roads

South Africa has one of the world’s highest road fatality rates, with thousands of deaths recorded annually. Long-distance buses carrying migrant workers across southern Africa are frequently involved in serious accidents, often due to poor vehicle maintenance, driver exhaustion, and dangerous road conditions.