At least 24 killed in South Africa bus accident

USPA News - At least 24 people have been confirmed dead after a passenger bus accident in South Africa, local authorities said Friday. A double-decker bus was reportedly carrying over 60 people, including several members of a local church, when it lost control near a curve.

The bus was traveling from Johannesburg to Cape Town, when it overturned on the Hex River Pass. Western Cape Traffic chief Kenny Africa told News 24 that mechanical failure in the bus` breaks caused the accident, as reports indicate the bus crashed into a rock face of a cliff in a curve between two cliffs. According to police, most of the passengers were members of a church who were returning from a women`s day meeting in the northern province of Mpumalanga. Among the 24 killed were two children, while most of the fatal victims were women. Emergency teams had to cut through the bus to free the trapped passengers, while helicopters from the Air Force and Skymed were also deployed to the accident site to assist.