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A passenger bus carrying 78 people overturned in southwest South Africa early Thursday morning, killing at least 16 people, including children.
The vehicle was travelling from the tourist hub of Cape Town to Idutywa in the Eastern Cape province when the tragedy occurred.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) reported that the bus driver swerved to avoid a delivery vehicle, lost control, and flipped the bus.
Emergency responders declared most of the victims dead at the scene, including seven men, five women, and three children.
While the crash injured numerous individuals, the RTMC noted that 43 passengers refused medical treatment, though officials did not provide a reason for the refusals.
Police have launched an official investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the fatal incident.
The crash highlights South Africa’s ongoing struggle with road safety.
Despite boasting one of the most developed road networks on the continent, the country suffers from a high rate of traffic fatalities, which officials largely blame on speeding, reckless driving, unroadworthy vehicles, and a lack of seat belt use.
RTMC data shows that road crashes killed 11,485 people in South Africa in 2025—a five per cent decrease from the previous year—with pedestrians accounting for the majority of those deaths.
