UPDATE: Eight die in horrific crash

17 April

BARBERTON -The cause of a horror crash which left eight people dead on the R38 Road between Badplaas and Barberton is still not known.

According to Mr Joseph Mabuza, spokesman of the Department of Community Safety, Security & Liaison the bodies, however, had been identified in the meanwhile and were transported to Swaziland on Tuesday.

Mabuza said they were still investigating if the truck that crashed into a minibus taxi was roadworthy.

In a previous statement Mabuza said it was believed that the driver of the truck had lost control before crashing into a minibus taxi killing eight people, including a toddler.

10 April

BARBERTON – Eight people, including a toddler (3), were killed when a truck collided with a minibus on the R38 Road between Badplaas and Barberton Tuesday evening.

According to the spokesman for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL) Mr Jasper Zwane, it is believed that the driver of the truck lost control before crashing into a minibus taxi.

“When ER24 paramedics and other services arrived on the scene they found people, some of whom were ejected from the taxi, lying all over the area,” a statement from ER24 read.

Zwane confirmed that three more people, including the driver of the truck, sustained serious injuries and were taken to Barberton Hospital.

Although the cause of the accident has not yet been confirmed, the MEC for the department, Mr Vusi Shongwe, appealed to truck owners and drivers to always ensure that their vehicles were roadworthy and that drivers were fit to be on the road.

“At the scene of the crash we were told about many allegations with regard to the collision, but for now it is safe to say the accident reconstruction team and the police are considering all the information received from witnesses in order to finalise the investigation,” Mabuza added.

Shongwe called on the police to leave no stone unturned to establish what happened so that appropriate steps could be taken.