LIMPOPO – Three people have died and 34 were critically injured on the R531 road this morning (Tuesday, April 29).
According to Tidimalo Chuene, the spokesperson for the Department of Transport and Community Safety, the crashes occurred within two hours of each other on the same road.
The first crash took place at around 06:30, claiming the life of a 22-year-old man and injuring 12 others. The incident occurred near Kampersrus village after the driver of a light delivery van lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn.
According to Chuene, the second crash occurred at approximately 08:00 near Marepe Lodge, when the driver of a heavy motor vehicle attempted to overtake and collided with a tractor. This collision claimed two lives. Thirty-three people travelling in the heavy motor vehicle were critically injured, including the tractor driver.
All injured passengers were admitted to a nearby hospital.
The incident began trending on social media after a post falsely claimed that 25 people had died and 50 were critically injured. However, following investigations and enquiries with Hoedspruit Police Station spokesperson Sergeant Kenny Malele and Chuene, it was confirmed that the official death toll stands at three.
The stretch of road where these crashes occurred is approximately 20km from the R40, the site of a horrific accident on February 8. In that incident, a minibus taxi and a bakkie collided, resulting in the deaths of 13 people, many of whom were burnt beyond recognition. Eleven of the 13 victims were only positively identified through DNA testing.
