Bloemfontein – A collision between a bus and a truck in the early hours of Wednesday has left at least 10 people dead on the N6, near Reddersburg, Free State.
The provincial Road Incident Management System said 10 people died in the crash and more than 20 others were injured in the collision, which occurred 60 kilometres south of Bloemfontein.
Provincial Road Incident Management System chairperson Sipho Towa said the bus was contracted by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa.
Towa said the road would be closed for about six hours to clear the crash scene.
“The crash happened around 3 am when a truck and a bus collided about five kilometres from Reddersburg,” said the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
“Information at this stage indicates that the bus was travelling on N6 from Reddersburg in the direction of Smithfield while the truck with two trailers was travelling in the opposite direction.
“The two vehicles collided in a side-swipe-type crash.”
The RTMC said 10 people died on the scene and an unconfirmed number from the bus were transported to hospital for medical treatment.
“The exact cause of the crash has not yet been determined,” the RTMC said.
The RTMC said it has sent a team of crash investigators to Free State to probe the cause of a terrible crash.
“We further urge all road users to exercise extreme caution when travelling in the early hours of the morning. Statistics show that most crashes take place before dawn,” the RTMC said.
Meanwhile, the RTMC said it has sent condolences to the affected families and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
