At least 13 schoolchildren have died and three others have been seriously injured after a school minibus collided with a lorry south of Johannesburg. TASR informs about it based on the reports of Reuters, DPA and AP.
- Thirteen children died when a school minibus collided with a truck.
- The accident happened south of Johannesburg near the town of Vanderbijlpark.
- The driver of the minibus lost control while overtaking and crashed into a car.
- Three schoolchildren suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized.
- More than 11,000 people die annually in South Africa on the roads, warns the minister.
A minibus driver while overtaking near the town of Vanderbijlpark about 70 kilometers south of Johannesburg lost control of the vehicle and crashed into an oncoming truck.
According to preliminary reports, 11 children died on the spot and two succumbed to their injuries while being transported to the hospital. A private school minibus transported them to several primary and secondary schools southwest of Johannesburg. The accident happened around 07:00 local time (06:00 CET).
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his condolences to the families, teachers and friends of the victims. Only last week, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced that the number of deaths caused by accidents on South African roads is “a reason for national shame”.
Last year, there were total road deaths in South Africa 11,418 people, which is an average of 31 deaths per day and about 6 percent less than the year before. Creecy attributes the accident to speeding and drunk driving, among other reasons.
