Tinotenda Hove – A deadly road accident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday morning when a Mzansi Express bus en route to Zimbabwe crashed on South Africa’s N1 highway near Musina.

According to preliminary reports, the bus—travelling from Johannesburg—slammed into a broken-down pick-up truck that had been left on the roadside without any hazard indicators or warning triangles. The impact caused the bus to swerve uncontrollably into the opposite lane, where it grazed a passing haulage truck’s trailer.

The force of the collision left the right side of the bus severely mangled.

Witnesses at the scene described the wreckage as “horrific,” blaming the absence of proper warning signals around the stalled vehicle. “There were no cones, no hazard lights—nothing. The bus driver didn’t stand a chance,” said one bystander.

The haulage truck driver reportedly had to make a sudden maneuver to avoid a full-on collision, which could have resulted in even more carnage.

Authorities are yet to release the official death toll and identities of the victims as investigations continue.