A bus overturned near Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport early Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 45 others, local officials confirmed.
The bus, carrying more than 50 commuters to work, crashed on a busy highway, forcing authorities to close the road.
Images from the scene showed the vehicle lying on its side as emergency responders worked to assist survivors.
Officials have yet to determine the cause of the accident.
However, a survivor told Newzroom Afrika television that the bus appeared to be speeding before it lost control.
Ekurhuleni city transport official Andile Mngwevu called the crash a “disaster,” expressing deep sorrow over the loss of life.
South Africa, despite its advanced road infrastructure, faces a high rate of traffic fatalities, often attributed to reckless driving, speeding, and unroadworthy vehicles.
The tragedy follows a series of deadly road accidents in the country.
On Monday, four schoolchildren were killed and five others injured in a collision in Ekurhuleni.
Last week, nine people, including a four-year-old child, died when a bus veered into a ditch in KwaZulu-Natal.
Authorities continue to investigate the latest crash as South Africa grapples with its persistent road safety crisis.
