At Least 4 Dead After Zimbabwe-Bound Bus Plunges Off Cliff Near Makhado
At least four people have died after a Zimbabwe-bound bus plunged off a cliff near Makhado in South Africa, close to the same spot where 43 people were killed in a devastating crash in October 2025.
The accident happened on Thursday morning, February 19, 2026, along the N1-29 near Ingwe Lodge outside Makhado in Limpopo Province. Emergency services rushed to the scene as rescue and recovery operations got under way.
Initial reports indicate that the bus was travelling from Johannesburg to Zimbabwe with 31 passengers on board when it veered off the road and fell into a ditch below.
Authorities confirmed that emergency teams were dispatched immediately and that recovery operations were continuing at the time of publication.
N1-29 Closed As Rescue Efforts Continue
The Limpopo Department of Transport and Community Safety confirmed that the N1-29 was completely closed in both directions following the crash.
Officials said the vehicle remained in the ditch, making it difficult to immediately determine the full extent of casualties and injuries.
“Emergency services are on the scene and rescue and recovery operations are under way,” authorities said.
They added that the exact cause of the crash had not yet been established and would be investigated.
Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC Violet Mathye was expected to visit the crash site on Thursday morning.
Motorists have been urged to avoid the area and to use alternative routes, including the R523 Nzhelele Road.
Tragedy Near October 2025 43-Death Crash Site
The latest crash occurred near the same stretch of the N1 where 43 people lost their lives in October 2025.
That earlier tragedy involved a DNC bus which veered down a steep embankment near Louis Trichardt. Investigations by the Department of Transport and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) later found that the vehicle had been unroadworthy, overloaded and travelling at unsafe speeds before the crash.
Authorities have not confirmed whether the crash shares similar circumstances.
Rescue and recovery operations were still continuing as more details emerged.
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The post At Least 4 Dead After Zimbabwe-Bound Bus Plunges Off Cliff Near Same Spot Where 43 Died Near Makhado, SA appeared first on iHarare News.
