SEVEN children have been counted among the 42 dead following a horror bus crash on a mountain road, authorities say.
The tragic smash happened near Louis Trichardt town in South Africa on Sunday evening, just 250 miles north of Pretoria.
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The bus veered down a steep mountain road before flipping over, killing at least 42 people and leaving 49 more injured.
The bus was headed to Zimbabwe on the N1 road, when it swerved down an embankment at around 6pm.
The cause of the crash – which happened in the Limpopo province – remains unknown.
The fatalities included 18 women and 17 men, with six people left with critical injuries, according to the transport ministry.
A spokesperson from the ministry said a seriously injured child had also been airlifted to hospital.
The vehicle was found lying upside down on an embankment, forcing rescuers to work beneath it during their search for survivors.
The Limpopo provincial government said rescue operations had continued late into Sunday night.
A further 31 people had serious injuries and were taken to several hospitals surrounding the accident site.
In a statement, a spokesperson from the transport ministry said the bus had been carrying Zimbabwean and Malawian nationals, who were returning to their home countries.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa extended “his deep condolences to the nations of Zimbabwe and Malawi who have lost their compatriots”.
“This incident is a tragedy for South Africa and our sister states of Zimbabwe and Malawi alike,” he added.
“This sadness is compounded by the fact that this incident has taken place during our annual transport month, where we place a special focus on the importance of safety on our roads.”
Last year, 45 people were killed in a bus crash in the same province, when the vehicle veered off a bridge and into a ravine.
An eight year old girl was the only survivor.
The bus had been carrying mainly Botswanan nationals, who were travelling to an Easter church gathering in South Africa.
The bus was sent plunging 165ft down a rocky surface before erupting into flames, with shocking images showing the aftermath of the fatal fall.
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In a statement, the transport ministry said the driver lost control and smashed through the barriers on a bridge near Mamatlakala in the northeast province of Limpopo, South Africa.
Firefighters can be seen extinguishing the burnt out metal.
It was also carrying a second smaller vehicle behind it at the time of the crash.
Shocking reports say some of the recovered bodies were burned to such a devastating effect that the victims couldn’t be identified.
Many others were found trapped inside the battered carcass of the bus.
The smash comes just days after a boxer was burned alive after getting hit by a bus in Brazil.
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Flavio Augusto Schuller Azambuja, 26, had been on his way to work when his bike suddenly packed in on a road in Florianopolis.
But before help could arrive, a bus ploughed into his vehicle, sending Flavio tumbling and trapping him underneath.
The bus then caught fire, sparking a horrifying blaze that quickly engulfed the vehicle.
Flavio’s brother arrived moments later – and desperately joined the bus driver and bystanders in a frantic bid to pull him out from under the vehicle.
Tragically, Flavio was unable to be rescued and died at the scene.
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