Barberton – At least six people died and several others were injured when their minibus taxi overturned Saturday morning along the R38 between Manzana and Barberton in Mpumalanga.
The minibus taxi was travelling from Johannesburg to Mozambique when tragedy struck.
Six people were pronounced dead on the scene and the injured were taken to Barberton Hospital.
Emer-G-Med said at about 05:00 Saturday morning paramedics responded to the R38 Nelshoogte after hearing reports of a serious motor vehicle collision.
“On arrival on scene a minibus taxi was found to have careened off the roadway and down an embankment,” said Emer-G-Med.
“Multiple commuters were ejected during… the collision.
“Six people were found to have sustained fatal injuries and were declared dead on arrival of paramedics.
“Multiple others were treated for injuries ranging from minor to moderate and taken by ambulances to nearby hospitals for further medical care.”
Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison Vusi Shongwe conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished the survivors speedy recoveries.
He has also urged motorists to avoid human error crashes because of negligence, including excessive speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol.
“We have noted most deadly crashes occur at night and during early morning hours. Some of these crashes, we believe that they are attributable to fatigue,” MEC Shongwe said.
He said motorists needed to take a rest when they feel tired and thereafter continue with their journeys.
“Therefore motorists must rest sufficiently along the way when undertaking long journeys,” MEC Shongwe said.
The details of both the deceased and survivors were withheld.
MEC Shongwe said the cause of the crash which saw the minibus taxi roll down a slope, was under investigation.
In a separate deadly road incident, Emer-G-Med said earlier Friday morning the N3, near Van Reenen, was closed to traffic for nearly five hours, following a multi-vehicle crash in which seven people lost their lives.
