Eight people were killed and 62 others were injured on Sunday when the bus they travelling on overturned at the R66 and R34 intersection in Melmoth, KwaZulu-Natal paramedics said.

The bus was believed to have been carrying people returning from the Reed Dance ceremony which took place at Nyokeni royal palace in Nongoma.

Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha said it appeared that the bus overturned, slid down the road and smashed into the [steel] barriers.

"Paramedics... arrived at the scene and found that the barriers had pierced through the front of the bus," said Botha.

Most of those injured were removed from the scene and transported to the hospital by private transport before the ambulances arrived.

"After triaging the remaining patients they found two women and six men had tragically died on impact due to the extensive injuries that they sustained," said Botha.

Four other people had sustained serious injuries in the crash.

They were stabilised on the scene and transported to nearby hospitals.