A collision involving a minibus taxi and a bus on the R81 in Maphalle, in Limpopo has claimed the lives of 24 people, the Department of Transport has announced.

It is believed that the occupants of the minibus were returning from Youth Day celebrations in the province when the accident occurred at approximately 20:30 on Sunday evening.

"I can confirm that the number of people confirmed dead is 24," said spokesperson for the Department of Transport, Ayanda-Allie Paine.

All those who lost their lives were in the minibus taxi.

She added that the minibus was overloaded by an additional 10 people when the accident occurred.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation said: "It is alleged that one driver lost control of the vehicle and collided head on with another one on a sharp curve."

Three occupants of the bus were injured.

"This was the bloodiest weekend we have experience and it again point to recklessness and negligence by drivers," the RTMC CEO Advocate Makhosini Msibi said in a statement on Monday.

RTMC is also investigating an accident on the same stretch of road at Dingamanzi Village, between Giyani and Polokwane, where two vehicles collided in the early hours of Sunday morning. Six people were killed. 

Six people also died when two cars collided on the R544 between Emalahleni and Verena. Among the dead were three children aged btween two and 13 years of age. Three people were injured.

Msibi urged motorists returning from the long weekend to drive carefully and respect the rules of the road.

- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter