Photo: cornstaruk

South Africa roads.

Johannesburg — Paramedics have confirmed the deaths of 19 people in a bus crash in Meyerton, in the Vaal Triangle, on Monday.

Netcare 911 spokesman Jeff Wicks said three people were critically injured, 18 were seriously injured and 33 sustained minor injuries in the crash.

The driver was thought to have lost control of the vehicle, which hit the rails of the bridge then plummeted 10 metres to the ground, landing on its side.

Wicks said all the passengers had been accounted for and attended to, and the scene had been cleared by 2pm.

Investigations were underway into the cause of the crash.

ER24 spokeswoman Vanessa Jackson said the bus had been carrying adults of "working age".

She said two of the three critically injured passengers were airlifted to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. One was taken to a hospital in the Vaal Triangle.

"Those who sustained minor and moderate injuries were taken to different hospitals around the greater Vaal region," she said.