At least 16 people have been killed and 20 others injured when a bus overturned in South Africa's Western Cape province. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The accident occurred in the early hours of Thursday. The bus was transporting 78 passengers from Cape Town to Idutywa in the Eastern Cape province.
"It is alleged that the bus swerved to avoid colliding with a delivery vehicle when the driver lost control and the vehicle overturned," said Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesperson Simon Zwane.
Initial reports indicated nine fatalities, but further investigation at the scene revealed a total of 16 deaths.
The injured were taken to a hospital in Worcester, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Cape Town, while at least 43 passengers refused medical treatment.
"The cause of the crash will be subject to the ongoing investigation by the RTMC and the South African Police Services," Zwane said.
Authorities have warned motorists to be extremely cautious during the winter period due to fog causing poor visibility. Roads can become dangerous because of fog, smoke, black ice and poor visibility.
This is the second fatal bus crash in South Africa this week. On Wednesday, a bus transporting Malawians to the Beitbridge border in Limpopo overturned, killing the driver.