20 people killed as bus rolls off bridge into river after head-on collision

Twenty people were killed and 68 injured in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a cash-in-transit van on the N1 in the Makhado (Louis Trichardt) area of Limpopo on Monday evening.

ER24 said after the collision, the bus rolled off the freeway bridge into the river below, landing on its side.

A police diving team is searching the river for people who might have been swept away, the department of transport and community safety said.

ER24 said: “Three people were found deceased by the roadside and 16 down by the river — all were declared dead on arrival. One patient, of the 69 passengers confirmed transported to the hospital for various injuries, has since died.”

The emergency medical care provider said most of the fatalities were due to victims being trapped under the bus.

The department said of those hurt in the crash, “ten passengers are reported to have sustained serious injuries, 16 moderate, and 35 minor injuries. Passengers with injuries were transported to Makhado, Elim, and Siloam hospitals for medical attention.”

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Heavy rains have been falling in the area.

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