Dozens Malawians, Zimbabweans die in South Africa bus crash

At least 43 people, including nationals of Malawi and Zimbabwe, were killed when a passenger bus rolled down an embankment in South Africa, a provincial transport minister said on Monday.

The Transport Department says the deceased are 18 adult females, 17 adult males, and seven children, state media SABC reports.

The bus travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe crashed around 90 kilometres (55 miles) from the border on Sunday after the driver apparently lost control, Limpopo Province Transport Minister Violet Mathye said.

The dead included a 10-month-old girl, she said, adding that thirty-eight people were in hospital.

The bus was travelling from the southern city of Gqeberha, around 1,500 kilometres away, and its passengers included Malawians and Zimbabweans who were working in South Africa.

The crash may have been caused by driver fatigue or a mechanical fault, the minister said.

The sophisticated and busy road network in South Africa has a high rate of road deaths, primarily due to speeding, reckless driving, and unroadworthy vehicles.

In June, at least 12 supporters of South Africa's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party have died, and 32 others were injured in a bus crash.