Eight dead, dozens injured as Malawian bus plunges down Limpopo mountain pass

At least 8 people died and over 40 were left injured when a bus travelling from Malawi to Gauteng crashed in Limpopo Image:Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety At least eight people were killed, and 44 others left injured, after a bus carrying 61 Malawian passengers lost its brakes and careered off the winding Soutpansberg mountain pass on the N1 highway near Witvlag in Limpopo on Thursday evening. A survivor describes watching helplessly as the driver fought and failed to stop the runaway vehicle on one of southern Africa’s most treacherous stretches of road. The disaster unfolded at approximately 6pm on Thursday, as thebusmade its way north from Gauteng toward Malawi.

The Witvlag area sits roughly 19 kilometres north of Louis Trichardt in the Soutpansberg region, known for its mountainous terrain and winding roads. Isaac Agisali, a Kenyan national travelling among the passengers, pieced together a chilling sequence of events. The group had departed Malawi on Tuesday morning, spent Tuesday night at the Mozambique border, and crossed into South Africa through Beitbridge on Wednesday afternoon.

Agisali recounted that the bus’s brakes first failed before the vehicle reached the first tunnel. The driver pulled over and appeared to restore them. But after clearing the second tunnel, the brakes gave out a second time, with no recovery possible.

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With the road falling sharply away in near darkness, and the bus gathering speed, neither the driver nor the passengers who tried to assist could bring the vehicle under control. The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety confirmed in its initial Thursday evening advisory that at least eight people had died and that the N1 had been closed. Of those on board, 22 sustained serious injuries, 17 suffered moderate injuries, and five minor injuries were reported.

Preliminary investigations suggested the suspected cause of the crash was mechanical failure. The road was briefly reopened at 6:30am on Friday, though a truck remained stuck near the scene, requiring point-duty traffic management. “The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety informs motorists that the N1 is currently open for traffic flow. However, there is a truck next to the accident scene that is stuck, and traffic officers are conducting point duty in the area,” spokesperson Mashudu Mabata said.

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