10 people die after bus overturns in South Africa

Johannesburg, Aug 28 (IANS) Ten people were killed when a bus they were traveling in overturned in South Africa's Limpopo region on Tuesday night, local authorities said on Wednesday.

The bus was en route to Johannesburg from neighboring Zimbabwe when the accident happened on the N1 highway near Makhado, the Limpopo Provincial Department of Transport and Community Safety said in a statement on Wednesday.

"All the deceased, five males and five females, are reportedly foreign nationals," said the department, Xinhua news agency reported.

"According to reports, the bus drove over a round-about, the last traffic circle from Makhado toward Polokwane, at high speed, lost control and overturned, killing and injuring its passengers in the process," the statement said.

"The bus driver is reportedly new in his job, and not familiar with the surroundings," it added.

According to a separate statement issued by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), three people were seriously injured while 20 others suffered slight injuries and 22 passengers were unharmed in the accident.

"Preliminary reports indicate that the bus was traveling southbound when the driver allegedly failed to negotiate a traffic circle, leading to the vehicle overturning," the RTMC said. "The exact cause is still under investigation. We urge all road users to exercise caution, especially when approaching traffic circles."

Limpopo province witnessed two major road accidents earlier this year. In May, 13 people died in a head-on collision involving a heavy motor vehicle and a minibus taxi. In March, 45 people traveling from Botswana to South Africa were killed in another bus accident.

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