LIMPOPO – Ten people tragically lost their lives when a bus overturned at the N1 traffic circle south of Louis Trichardt in the early hours last Wednesday.
The incident, which occurred just after 01:00, resulted in the closure of the N1 as emergency personnel worked to rescue trapped passengers.
Along with the 10 fatalities – five men and five women – all reportedly foreign nationals, three passengers sustained serious injuries, 21 suffered moderate injuries, and another 21 had minor injuries. The injured were transported to Louis Trichardt and Elim hospitals for medical care.
The bus, en route to Johannesburg from Zimbabwe, was reportedly travelling at high speed and overturned at the Elim/N1 turn-off.
Sazini Masuxu, an injured passenger from Shangani village in Zimbabwe, recounted the terrifying ordeal from her hospital bed: “We heard a loud bang and realised the bus had overturned. It rolled several times, and some passengers were thrown out. There was so much dust, we couldn’t see anything. I believe we were saved by the grace of God.”
Masuxu suffered head injuries and fractures to her left hand and foot.
The MEC for Transport Violet Mathye, and Makhado Mayor Dorcus Mboyi visited the victims at Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital.
She expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of life, calling the accident not just a family tragedy but a national one.
“This is a serious concern as more innocent lives are lost on our roads. All stakeholders must work with the government to implement measures aimed at reducing road fatalities,” she said.
Mboyi also offered condolences, expressing shock and sadness at the accident, and said the grieving families would need support.
Both officials spoke about addressing the rising number of road accidents to prevent further loss of life.
